Friday, October 9, 2026 4:00 – 6:00 PM Dodd Hall 321 RSVP HERE Join us on Friday, October 9, 2026, for a colloquium with Desmond Hogan, Princeton University. The talk will take place from 4:00 – 6:00 PM with a reception to follow. Kant’s Awakenings In a famous biographical reflection on the origin of his epochal Critique of Pure Reason, Kant writes that Hume’s analysis of causation “first interrupted my dogmatic slumber and gave a completely different direction to my researches in the field of speculative philosophy” (Prolegomena 4:260). We encounter strikingly similar language in Kant’s explanation elsewhere that his Critique arose out…
Panel Discussion on Current Situation in Iran MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2026 11:00 AM PST In Persian ONLINE ONLY To watch on Zoom: https://ucla.in/4yjoB6Q Panelists and Discussions Include: Iran and the War: Domestic and International Repercussions This presentation examines the cumulative impact of recent developments on Iran’s domestic politics and foreign policy. It argues that, taken together, they have significantly altered the strategic calculations of Iran’s political leadership, reshaping its approach to domestic governance, regime security, regional strategy, and relations with the international community. The presentation will assess both the immediate consequences of these changes and their longer-term implications for the…
NADINE In this shorter performance, Luiza Romão presents several scenes from the show Nadine, using a sampler and a microphone on a stand. Adaptable to different formats and performance spaces, the piece touches on aspects of detective fiction and presentsthe poems with a stronger emphasis on spoken word. Synopsis: Based on Luiza Romão’s book of the same name, Nadine tells the story of a young woman who, after being murdered, decides to investigate her own crime. Blending spoken word with crime fiction, the performance explores themes such as gender, the representation of violence, and the states of vulnerability associated with…
Based on his recent book, The Tree Within: Octavio Paz’s Years in India (Penguin, 2025), Chakravarty explains how the Mexican Nobel Laureate poet and diplomat, Octavio Paz, became a cultural bridge between two parts of the Global South that are separated by geography, language, culture and history. As Mexico’s ambassador to India in the 1960s, Paz immersed himself in the country’s contemplative traditions, travelled widely, forged deep friendships with some of India’s finest minds, and produced some of his most inspired poetry and essays. By his own admission, he experienced a ‘second birth’. While exploring the poet’s inner journey by…
This conference presents ongoing research findings of an international group of scholars studying the topic of dragons in performance. In the past, the cartographic legend “hic sunt dracones” (like “hic sunt leones”) indicated the extent of known territories (land and seas) and the boundaries of safety, yet what laid beyond pervaded the consciousness of many artists, travelers and scholars. Dragons, which have occupied the human imagination since antiquity, gained particular importance after 1400 CE, and appear in many guises— St. George plays, Karagöz, Chinese shadow puppets, etc.—and so mark the outlines of a Denkraum (or “thinking space”) between cosmology, zoology,…
Participation in the Seminar consists of group discussion of pre-circulated papers, typically drafts of articles, book chapters, or dissertation chapters (with complete apparatus). Two of the papers are ordinarily by emerging scholars (including PhD students) and the other two are by established scholars. We allocate one hour per paper and presenters should anticipate substantial, and substantive, feedback. Calls for presenters are circulated via e-mail from the Center approximately two months prior to each meeting. Faculty, postdocs, and grad students from across California are welcome to participate. The papers will be discussed at the seminar in the following order: “A King,…
Verity Platt will be giving a talk entitled,‘The Garland in Greco-Roman Art: An Exercise in Anthocriticism’. Location and details to come so stay tuned.
Why do we suffer? Why do people die young? Is there any point to our excessive pain, physical or emotional? This talk explores the ways that we have tried to minimize or eliminate suffering, and examines people’s attempts to find ways to live with pointless suffering. Ultimately, to be fully human—and to have healthy culture—means to acknowledge a mysterious paradox: we must simultaneously accept suffering and oppose it. RSVP to attend in person Register for Zoom link Scott Samuelson studied philosophy at Grinnell College (BA, 1995, valedictorian) and Emory University (PhD, 2001). He is currently a Professor of Practice in the…
Lift a glass to the new academic year and meet friends old and new! Welcome remarks by Dean Stern and Professor Bakhos at 4:30p. RSVP required by October 11. See you there!
The 2026 Giorgio Levi Della Vida conference and award ceremony honoring Professor Richard Eaton (University of Arizona). View conference information and register The 2026 Giorgio Levi Della Vida Award presentation and conference will take place on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at UCLA. The award will be presented to Professor Richard Eaton of the University of Arizona, in recognition of his contributions to the field of Islamic Studies. The conference is part of a tradition established by CNES first director, Gustave E. von Grunebaum, to encourage research in the field of Islamic studies and to honor outstanding scholars in the field,…
