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Oliver Feltham

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Oliver Feltham

Professor

  • Department: History and Politics
  • Complementary Department(s): Comparative Literature and English
  • Office: 
    GL-19
  • Office Hours: 
    Mondays and Thursdays 12:30鈥�13:30 or by appointment

Born in England, Professor Feltham joined The American University of Paris in 2004. After a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at the University of Sydney, he completed a PhD in philosophy at Deakin University, Melbourne, for which he carried out most of his research in Paris. His PhD focused on the ontological difference between work and action and spanned Ancient Greek philosophy and contemporary French philosophy.

His areas of expertise include critical theory, contemporary French philosophy and Lacanian psychoanalysis. His areas of competence include early modern philosophy, and political philosophy. His current project is to develop a history of models of political action, playing practical episodes of political innovation, such as in the English, American and French revolutions, against philosophers鈥� attempts to theorize those moments in their systematic accounts of politics and social justice. The first installment of this project was published in March 2013 by Bloomsbury under the title Anatomy of Failure: Philosophy and Political Action. It focuses on the Leveller-agitators in the English Revolution and the philosophies of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. The sequel to this book will focus on the American and French revolutions, and on the philosophies of action present in Adam Smith, David Hume, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Edmund Burke. Feltham is also interested in contemporary poetics and aesthetics, particular with regard to theatre.聽



Education/Degrees

  • PhD (2000), Deakin University
  • BA (Honours), (1994),聽the University of Sydney

Publications

Books
  • Anatomy of Failure: Philosophy and Political Action (London: Bloomsbury, 2013)
  • Alain Badiou: Live Theory (London: Continuum, 2008)
  • Co-editor and contributor to Autour de Logiques des mondes d鈥橝lain Badiou (Paris: Editions des Archives Contemporains, 2011).
  • Co-editor and contributor to Ecrits autour de la pens茅e d鈥橝lain Badiou (Paris: Harmattan, 2007).
  • Co-editor, translator and co-author of the introduction to Alain Badiou, Infinite Thought: Truth and the Return to Philosophy, (London: Continuum, 2003)
Translations
  • Badiou, Alain, Being and Event, (London: Continuum, 2006). [L鈥櫭猼re et l鈥櫭﹙茅nement (Paris: Seuil, 1988)].
  • Co-translated with Justin Clemens the contents of Infinite Thought (see above)
  • Badiou, Alain, 鈥淧sychoanalysis and Philosophy鈥�, Analysis no.9, (Melbourne: 2000), 1-8.
  • Jean-Claude Milner, 鈥淭he doctrine on science鈥�, Umbr(a) Science and Truth Issue (Buffalo: 2000), 33-63.
Chapters in a book
  • 鈥淲hat is Contemporaneity in Theatre? Atomism versus Atavism鈥� in Art and Contemporaneity, Frank Ruda & Jan Volker (eds.), (Zurich: Diaphanes, 2013).
  • 鈥淎ction and Access to the Absolute in Moby Dick" in Vanessa Brito (ed), Melville e a filosofia: a vontade, as palavras e a ac莽茫o, Lisboa, Vendaval Editores, 2013.
  • 鈥淓tude sur la transformation et la multiplicit茅鈥�, in Feltham,O., Lincoln,L., & Rabouin,D., (eds), Autour des Logiques des mondes d鈥橝lain Badiou (Paris: Editions des Archives Contemporain, 2011).
  • 鈥淏iography鈥� and 鈥淧hilosophy鈥� in Clemens,J & Bartlett,A., (ed鈥檚), Alain Badiou: Key Concepts (Durham: Acumen, 2010).
  • 鈥淥n political change鈥� in Mark Bevir (ed.), SAGE Encyclopedia of Political Theory (Sage Publications, 2010).
  • (with J.Clemens) 鈥淭he thought of stupefaction; or, event and decision as non-ontological and pre-political factors in the work of Gilles Deleuze and Alain Badiou鈥�, Event and Decision: Ontology and Politics in Badiou, Deleuze, and Whitehead (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010).
  • 鈥淏adiou und Deleuze: ein oder zwei Begriffe des Ereignisses?鈥� in G.Kamecke & H.Teschke (eds.) Ereignis und Institution (T眉bingen: Gunter Narr Verlag, 2008), 29-42.
  • 鈥淎n Explosive Genealogy: theatre, philosophy and the art of presentation鈥�, Cosmos and History: The Praxis of Alain Badiou, (Melbourne: re-press, 2007).
  • With Bruno Besana, 鈥淧r茅face des Editeurs鈥�, Ecrits autour de la pens茅e d鈥橝lain Badiou (Paris: Harmattan, 2007), 9-19.
  • 鈥淟鈥檃cte de h茅t茅ro-identification: 鈥榣es math茅matiques sont l鈥檕ntologie鈥欌�� Ecrits autour de la pens茅e d鈥橝lain Badiou (Paris: Harmattan, 2007), 65-70.
  • 鈥淓t l鈥櫭猼re et l鈥櫭﹙茅nement et鈥�: la philosophie et ses synth猫ses disjonctives鈥�, Ecrits autour de la pens茅e d鈥橝lain Badiou (Paris: Harmattan, 2007), 107-124.
  • 鈥淯ne singularit茅 dans la politique: luttes des peuples indig猫nes en Australie", Ecrits autour de la pens茅e d鈥橝lain Badiou (Paris: Harmattan, 2007), 197-214.
  • 鈥淓njoy your stay: Structural Change in Seminar XVII鈥�, Reading Seminar XVII, eds. R.Grigg & J.Clemens (Durham NC: Duke University Press, 2006), 179-194.
  • 鈥淭ranslator鈥檚 Preface鈥� in Badiou, Alain, Being and Event, (London: Continuum, 2006), xvii-xxxiii.
  • 鈥淟a philosophie, pourrait-elle d茅socialiser le monde?鈥�, Th茅orie-rebellion: un ultimatum, G.Grelet ed. (Paris: Harmattan, 2005), 25-27.
  • 鈥淎n Introduction to the Philosophy of Alain Badiou鈥�, with Justin Clemens, in Alain Badiou, Infinite Thought: Truth and the Return to Philosophy, (London: Continuum, 2003), 1-38.
  • 鈥淭o Touch on Technology鈥�, Touch and Technology, ed. A. Mellick (Sydney: Artspace Publications, 1995).
Articles
  • 鈥淲ho Let the Dogs Out? Animalizing Humans as a Condition of Political Philosophy鈥�, Problemi, vol. no. 1-2/2013.
  • 鈥淭he School and the Act鈥�, 鈥淟acan and Philosophy: The New Generation"鈥� special issue of the European Journal of Psychoanalysis, (ed.) Lorenzo Chiesa, Number 32, 2011, 1. forthcoming 2011. Translated into Slovenian by Samo Tomsic as: "艩ola in dejanje", in: Problemi, 2011, no. 3/4, p. 85-108.
  • 鈥淎fter Nature: Modelling Ecological Practices鈥�, Design Philosophy Papers, 2/2011, http://www.desphilosophy.com/dpp/home.html
  • 鈥淛ouer pour 茅crire鈥�, Les Apr猫s-midi de LAIRDIL n掳 16, 2010.
  • 鈥淥n changing appearances in Badiou and Lacan鈥�, Umbr(a) Semblance, 2007.
  • 鈥淭he Open Laboratory: a position paper on the Humanities鈥�, Scissors and Tooth (BT天堂 journal), Summer 2007.
  • 鈥淔orget subversion, link up the generic! 鈥� A passage from art to politics鈥�, Spectres de l鈥檃vant-garde, AS Mediatijdschrift no.176, winter 2005-6, 72-83.
  • 鈥淎nd being and event and...: Philosophy and its nominations鈥�, Polygraph 17 : The Philosophy of Alain Badiou, 2005, 27-40.
  • 鈥淪ingularity happening in politics: the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Canberra 1972鈥�, Communication and Cognition, Vol. 37 No. 1, 2004, 225-245.
  • 鈥淪overeignty: Ontology and Psychoanalysis鈥�, Analysis no.9, (Melbourne: 2000), 9-17.

Conferences & Lectures

Conference papers followed by publication
  • 鈥淎ccess to the Absolute in Melville鈥檚 Moby Dick鈥� at the conference Melville et la philosophie : la volont茅, les mots et l鈥檃ction Colloque International, IFL | CEIL | FCSH 鈥� Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1st-3rd March 2012.
  • 鈥淲ho let the dogs out? Political Animality in Hobbes and Badiou鈥�, The human animal in contemporary philosophy, psychoanalysis and science, Conference organized by L.Chiesa and Mladen Dolar at the Jan Van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, May 27th 2011. Translated into Slovenian.
  • 鈥淎fter Nature: Modelling Ecological Practices鈥�, Goldsmith Department of Design, London, November 2010. Now published in the online journal Design Philosophy Papers see above.
  • 鈥淲hat is political action: the Levellers and Hobbes鈥� Historical Materialism Conference, SOAS, London, November 2010. Forming part of the book manuscript An Anatomy of Failure: Philosophy and Political Action.
  • 鈥淲hat is called Political Action in Locke and Hobbes鈥�, Eternity and Change Conference, Institute for Philosophical Research, Ljubljana, December 2009. Forming part of the book manuscript An Anatomy of Failure: Philosophy and Political Action.
  • 鈥淪low fire on black water and a collective body of hunger: theatre and contemporaneity鈥�, Art and Contemporaneity Conference co-organized by the BT天堂 Philosophy Program and the Research Centre for Aesthetic Experience and the Dissolution of Artistic Limits at the Freie Universit盲t, November 2009. (Published as book chapter in 2012 see above)
  • 鈥淢ethod in his Maoism: Dialectical Braiding versus Conditioning鈥� Seminar, The Institute for Philosophy, Ljubljana, April 2008 to be translated into Slovenian. Forming part of the book manuscript An Anatomy of Failure: Philosophy and Political Action.
  • Keynote lecture聽with Justin Clemens: 鈥淥ne or Two Philosophies of the Event: Deleuze and Badiou鈥�, at the Conference: Event and Decision, Claremont Graduate College, December 2007.
  • 鈥淢ethod in ontology: two objections, redundancy and abstraction鈥�, Conference: Presenting Potentialities in Politics and Aesthetics, Freie Universit盲t, Berlin, November 2007. Formed part of book manuscript for Alain Badiou: Live Theory.
  • 鈥淚nstitution and Event in French Philosophy鈥�, in Sektion 15 Ereignis und Institution at the Romanistagung Conference, Vienna, September 2007. Translated into German.
  • 鈥淭he Maoist turn: Truth in Revolt vs. Truth in History鈥�, SEP-FEP Joint Conference 2007, University of Sussex, September 2007. Became part of the book manuscript for Alain Badiou: Live Theory.
  • 鈥淥n Theatre and Philosophy: a New Explosive Genealogy鈥�, Tuesday Night Forum Series, TISCH Department of Performance Studies, NYU, November 2006. Became book chapter in The Praxis of Alain Badiou.
  • 鈥淎n Explosive Genealogy: theatre, philosophy and the art of presentation鈥� Workshop on Alain Badiou鈥檚 Being and Event, Centre for Modern European Philosophy, University of Middlesex, June 2006. Became book chapter in The Praxis of Alain Badiou.
  • 鈥淪ubtractive Ontology and the Passage from Art to Politics鈥�, BAVO seminar on Rethinking the Avant-garde, Jan Van Eyck Academie, March 2005. Became the article in the journal AS Mediatijdschrift.
  • 鈥淓njoy your stay: Structural Change in Seminar XVII鈥�, The Other Side of Psychoanalysis: Conference on Jacques Lacan鈥檚 Seminar XVII, Melbourne, Australia, July, 2004. Became book chapter in Reading Seminar XVII.
  • 鈥淯ne singularit茅 dans la politique: luttes des peuples indig猫nes en Australie鈥�, 3rd workshop on the philosophy of Alain Badiou, Department of Philosophy, Universit茅 Paris VIII, May 2003.
  • 鈥淓t l鈥櫭猼re et l鈥櫭﹙茅nement et鈥�: la philosophie et ses synth猫ses disjonctives鈥�, 2nd workshop on the philosophy of Alain Badiou, Department of Philosophy, Universit茅 Paris VIII, March 2003.
  • 鈥淎re You Being Secured?鈥�, Ethics and Politics: the Work of Alain Badiou, Centre for Critical and Cultural Theory, Cardiff University, May 2002.
  • 鈥淪overeignty: Ontology and Psychoanalysis鈥�, Australian Centre for Psychoanalysis in The Freudian Field (ACPFF) Annual Conference, August 1999.
Conference papers
  • 鈥淧olitical Action in Hobbes鈥�, Versus Laboratory Seminar Series, Jan van Eyck Academie, October 2009.
  • 鈥淓ducation and Action in May 鈥�68鈥�, Colloquium May 1968: Towards the Naming of the Event, European Studies Research Institute, University of Salford, Manchester, October 2008.
  • 鈥淏adiou and Nietzsche: the eagle and the old mole鈥�, Society for Phenomenology and Existentialist Philosophy Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, October 2008.
  • 鈥淩esponse to Ray Brassier鈥� Conference: More than a Lot: Displacements in Ontology, Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, May 2008.
  • 鈥淪elf-reflexivity and eventhood in Dan Graham鈥檚 Work鈥�, Conference: Performance Studies International 13, New York University, New York, November 2007.
  • 鈥淲hat is Critical Theory in France鈥� with the Critical Theory Collective, Les lundis de la th茅orie, Espace Paul Ricard, February 2007.
  • 鈥淭he Pleasures of Incompletion: France and her ex-colonies鈥�, Politics and Culture Research Seminar, New York University in France. January 2007.
  • 鈥淢aterialism versus Empiricism: Badiou vs Carnap鈥�, Department of Philosophy, New School of Social Research, November 2006.
  • 鈥淥n Theatre and Philosophy: a New Explosive Genealogy鈥�, Tuesday Night Forum Series, TISCH Department of Performance Studies, NYU, Tuesday Night Forum Series. November 2007.
  • 鈥淛e voudrais un 锚tre et un 茅venement s鈥檌l vous pla卯t鈥� Melbourne Book launch for Being and Event, Readings Bookshop, July 2006.
  • 鈥淢aterialism versus Empiricism鈥�, Melbourne Badiou Reading Group, University of Melbourne, July 2006.
  • 鈥淩esponse to Marc de Kesel鈥�, 5th Politics and Enjoyment Workshop, American University of Paris, May 2006.
  • 鈥淗ow not to interpret Badiou鈥檚 Philosophy鈥� Book launch for Being and Event, Goldsmiths College, London, April 2006.
  • 鈥淲hen Angels Learn to Speak Local Dialects: response to Michael McDonald鈥�, International Communications Department Seminar, American University of Paris, March 2006.
  • 鈥淧olitics is an art: political enjoyment in Plato鈥檚 Republic鈥�, Politics and Jouissance Workshop III, Jan van Eyck Academie, February 2006.
  • 鈥淭he Pleasures of Expulsion: France and her riots鈥�, Psychoanalysis and The City Conference, Jan van Eyck Academie, November 2005.
  • 鈥淒oes Dogville Depoliticize its Allegory?鈥� International Association for Philosophy and Literature Conference 2005, University of Helsinki, June 2005.
  • 鈥淟anguages of Change in the French Revolution鈥�, Rhetoric, Politics, Ethics Conference, University of Ghent, April 2005.
  • 鈥淲hat is the subject for Badiou?鈥�, Seminar on Being and Event (directed by Howard Caygill), Goldsmiths College, London, April 2005.
  • 鈥淛ouer pour 茅crire: le d猫s, le dessin et le d茅couvert鈥�, Colloquium - La place du jeu dans l'enseignement des langues, Laboratoire Inter-universitaire de Recherche en Didactique des Langues (LAIRDIL), Universit茅 de Toulouse, January 2005.
  • 鈥淪ingularity: an encounter?鈥�, Joint seminar at the Centre for the Study of Invention and Social Process, Goldsmith鈥檚 College, London, May 2004 (with J.Clemens).
  • 鈥淧hilosophy as the clearing house for truth鈥�, Joint seminar at the CRASSH seminar, University of Cambridge, May 2004 (with J.Clemens).
  • 鈥淐apitalism is not everything: Response to Simon Critchley鈥�, Ending up With Religion Again? conference, Jan Van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, May 2004.
  • 鈥淟e changement et la substance chez Aristote鈥�, Seminar on the Event and the Accident, Department of Philosophy, Universit茅 Paris VIII, March 2004.
  • 鈥淚ntroduction to the philosophy of Alain Badiou鈥�, Jan Van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, Oct. 2003.
  • 鈥淓njoyment and Unrest: the Extimacy of the University鈥� Research in Psychoanalysis seminar series, Deakin University, March 2000.
  • 鈥淢athemes of the University鈥�, Australian Centre for Psychoanalysis in the Freudian Field, Discourses Workshop, Oct. 1997.
  • 鈥淭he Impossibility of Metalanguage鈥�, Conference: Topologies, Australian Society for Continental Philosophy (ASCP), August 1997.
  • 鈥淲hat is at work?: Lacan鈥檚 discourse mathemes鈥�, ACPF Discourses Workshop, Oct. 1996.
  • 鈥淭he Event in Spectres of Marx鈥�, Samuel Weber鈥檚 Paris Program in Critical Theory, Nov. 1995.
  • 鈥淓codesign and Systems Theory鈥�, Rewriting Ecology reading group, EcoDesign Foundation, Jan. 1995.
  • Panel Member at 鈥淏leedlines鈥�, Performance Studies Conference, University of Sydney, Sept. 1993.

Research Areas

Critical theory, contemporary French philosophy, early modern philosophy, political philosophy, contemporary aesthetics, philosophy of theatre, theories of action.