I shall be giving the above talk followed by a discussion at the Leeds Philosophy Cafe on the 16th of March 2011. The meeting will take place at the Old Stables, 7 Regent Street, Chapel Allerton LS7 4PE – opposite Sukhothai Restaurant. Doors open at 7.30pm.

In the 1960s, when it seemed for a moment that the imagination could seize power, the Situationists rejected the ‘Society of the Spectacle’ (Guy Debord) and called for the ‘Revolution of Every Day Life’ (Raul Veneigem). Rejecting the boredom and servitude of Western industrial society, they wanted to become active subjects rather than passive observers and sought to transform the drudgery of work into play. Their ideas were particularly influential in France during the 1968 revolt and continue to reverberate wherever life, love, freedom and creativity are valued.

We will explore and discuss the principal themes of the Situationists and their contemporary relevance.