Leisure as an Antidote for Existential Boredom
Kevin Gary (Valparaiso University, Indiana)
5.30 pm – 7.00 pm (BST)
The paper is attached here. Please note that this paper is not for public distribution.
For further inquiries: alison.brady.14@ucl.ac.uk
This paper considers genuine leisure, classically understood, as a promising antidote to existential boredom, a middle way between what Kierkegaard defines as the despair of necessity and the despair of possibility. Contrary to popular usage, leisure is far from a negative absence of effort: genuine leisure is an art that requires discipline, vigilance, and practice. Drawing from David Foster Wallace, l examine the dynamics of contemporary so-called leisure. I then turn to a classical conception of leisure, tracing a line from Aristotle to Simone Weil and Josef Pieper. The classical tradition cultivates leisure practices that protect against boredom and despair.
Kevin Gary is a Professor of Education at Valparaiso University. His primary areas of interest include liberal education, ethics, and spiritual education. He is co-founder of the North American Association for Philosophy of Education (https://www.naape.org/), which provides a hospitable space for scholars working at the intersection of philosophy and educational thought. Kevin is the author of the forthcoming book, Why Boredom Matters: Education, Leisure, and the Quest for a Meaningful Life (Cambridge University Press, 2022).
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