Plenary conference talks by Lampert and Russon

Our Professors Jay Lampert and John Russon gave plenary addresses at the recent Congress of the Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy, October 10-12 at the University of Toronto.

• Jay Lampert, "After Effects®: editing and phenomenology of perception"
  Abstract:  We can derive a new model of perception from digital special effects programs like Adobe After Effects, and digital editing programs like Avid Compositor, and Final Cut. Philosophers of film have discussed the aesthetics of digital cinema, but not the phenomenology of the act of compositing. This paper will consider three topics: the art of perceptual control; compositing perception by layers; and implications for phenomenological structures like time, perspective, reflexivity, wholes and parts, and consistency.

• John Russon, "Haunted by history:  spirit in Merleau-Ponty and Hegel"
  Abstract:  I use Merleau-Ponty’s analysis of the phenomenon of the phantom limb from The Phenomenology of Perception to identify a hidden dimension implicit in all action. I use this notion to interpret Hegel's notion of “spirit” from the Phenomenology of Spirit as, essentially, the phantom presence of history in our experience. I conclude with a brief consideration of the relationship between spirit and our literary and artistic traditions.