Philosophy of Horror: Fear & Flesh / Horror of the Body I

So far in Philosophy in the Dark, we’ve explored several themes: the monstrous deforming of the subject, cosmic pessimism, the Puritanical control of sex and fear of the unknown wilderness, the upending of ordered worlds, the horrors of environmental thought and even traversed the Internet in search of uncomfortable visions and sounds. As we shift into the latest pair of sessions – titled “Fear & Flesh / Horror of the Body”, we will draw on some of these themes again as we explore various approaches (in film and philosophy) to body horror.

This session will invoke elements of body horror, dark humor, sexuality and lycanthropy through the Canadian horror classic “Ginger Snaps”. A bloody and amusing film recounting the exploits of two sisters in a small town overwhelmed by the grotesque and monstrous (oh... and werewolves too, if you hadn’t suspected…). Our own Philosophy M.A. student Quinn McGlade-Ferentzy will moderate discussion and give a presentation on several themes and readings of the film, providing attendees with a creative parsing of ‘becoming-werewolf’.