Month of Self-Reference

In 2024, Philosophy Portal launched The Portal. ​ We are now at the mid-year mark and launching the sixth month of The Portal live event space. ​ Throughout the month we will be focused on the meta-physics of self-reference, and inviting Peter Limberg of The Stoa and Less Foolish to The Edge for "The Entity Pill", Greg Dember of What Is Metamodern? to Thought Lab for "Say Hello to Metamodernism", and Alex Ebert of Bad Guru to Real Talk for "Metapolitics". ​

Throughout the first six months at The Portal a meta-theme structure has emerged that should be important for the continued construction of our thinking network. ​ Every three months we will be repeating the three meta-themes of sex, community, and metaphysics. ​ If you want more background on how this meta-theme structure emerged, check the blog below:

The theme of self-reference falls into the category of the second month of metaphysics. ​ The connection between self-reference and metaphysics runs deep, all the way back to the problems that we find at the origin of philosophy itself. ​ Philosophers from the neo-Platonists to Spinoza to Heidegger and Deleuze, have not known how to make sense of the relation between self-reference and metaphysics. ​ And yet the consequences for their interconnection are far reaching, and extremely relevant to contemporary science and religion, as well as general paradigmatics and politics. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Concept Cave will give us a window into the foundation of self-reference and metaphysics, The Edge will explore an under-conceptualised dimension of self-reference in relation to the re-appearance of demonic entities, Thought Lab will introduce us to the paradigm of metamodernism as recognising a special space for the self in the contradictions of modernism and postmodernism, and Real Talk will allow us to think through the consequences of this paradigm for politics.

When you join The Portal you get instant access to the history of The Portal, which includes the following course structure:

This course structure includes appearances from Layman Pascal, Carl Hayden Smith, Andrew Davis, Barry Taylor, Alyssa Polizzi, Alenka Zupancic, David McKerracher, Ruth E. Kastner, Nina Power, Daniel L. Garner, Eliot Rosenstock, Alex Ebert, Matthew Segall, Pamela von Sabljar, Michelle Garner.

And more importantly, The Portal has become a network for thinking sex, community, and metaphysics with a dynamic group of individuals committed to sublating the negativities of our moment to a higher order. ​ To learn more or to get involved, check the link below:

​