catch the DRIFT

At the request of my former University of Amsterdam student Stefan Vriend (from the Heidegger class), I’ve added a link to the Drift festival in Amsterdam on the “Coming Appearances” page.

It’s a stunningly well-organized student event, at least based on what I saw last year. Imagine a nearly all-night philosophy house party. There are 2 or 3 lectures going on simultaneously, a bit of live music, and a bit of food. And it goes very, verrrrry late into the night. I’m delighted to speaking there this year.

The Department in Amsterdam is also remarkable. If memory serves, there were 140 freshman Philosophy majors that year. The faculty is so large that I didn’t come remotely close to meeting all of my colleagues. They have their own Philosophy building, had their own library until the fire marshals forced them to move it out, and their Chair is more like a Dean in the American system. Mammoth department.

The students are also by and large remarkably likable people– unusually mature, thoughtful, and welcoming to outsiders. I was delighted that four of them came down to Maastricht in December, and look forward to seeing them in April again.

Anyone who happens to be in the vicinity of Amsterdam on April 17, you can buy a ticket at the door if I’m remembering correctly. And it’s so large that you won’t stick out as a stranger.