In our liberal age, the notion of freedom is sacred. Arguing the opposite amounts to liberal heresy. The so-called ‘Arab Spring’ as depicted by the media affirms the universal sanctity of freedom. Didn’t “Arabs” sacrifice their lives for freedom’s sake after all? Maybe. The media did not depict the illiberal version of the story. In
CategoryAcademic Events
Question of the week: “What does «Je suis Charlie» tell us about the condition of ideology today?”
This week, we ask faculty member Jan Völker who currently teaches «Ideology: a thing from the past?» about the event of Charlie Hebdo, the symptomatic slogan « Je suis Charlie » and finally, his specialty––ideology.
Out of the cave – right into the world of philosophy
My first semester at Bard College Berlin just ended and I would like to write about the past few months and draw on my first insight into a liberal arts education. At first, many people advised me not to study at a liberal arts university. In Germany you usually choose a field of study that
Sculpture in Expanded Fields – A “Less is More” Approach to Studio Arts
In the spring of my first year at Bard, I took my first studio art course since the beginning of high school. I was never skilled at drawing, nor did I ever devote the time to develop skills in painting, so I figured that taking a sculpture course wouldn’t be the most difficult medium to
Be aware of what you share – the NSA is always there
I live off campus with some friends in a flat not far from the Berliner Zoo. Because of some technical difficulties we do not have access to the Internet: a situation that makes life in the modern world extremely complicated. I cannot do any research for my classes at home; I cannot check my mails
The curious incident of the grey painting
I have a truly curious story to tell about this painting. I was at a house party that was also a vernissage, organised by a student-run Parisian philosophy society. The flat had two big rooms and there were about 40 people. The artworks shown were all very pretty–most of them were little black and white
Student profiles: Indira Bisram
A first-year student at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, Indira “Indy” Bisram decided to spend her first semester with us in Berlin. By the time we sit down for the interview, I have already gotten to know her through the beginner Spanish class that consists only of the two of us. After class on a Monday
Fragments of Memory: Remembrances from a Road Trip
Suggested aural accompaniment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e11h73WhqK4 I’m driving down an empty road and it’s all black. We didn’t get maps for the Czech Republic installed in the navigation system, so the little screen below me buzzed with empty light and an arrow pointed southwest. A fog had settled ahead of us looking like a huge wave rolling