Brad Evans I Conflict and the Art of the Political I Conflict Matters 2017

Conflict Matters Conference London | 2017
Keynote speech by Brad Evans, University of Bristol
Violence. Conflict and the Art of the Political.
We often think about violence and conflict as being something which are co-extensive. For instance, it is common to assume the conflict of ideas and interests gives rise to violence, while violence is the outcome of conflicting visions about the world. Politics in this regard is all about the mediation of these tensions, with the aim of seeking resolution with the threat of violence always lurking in the background. Central here is a conception of the political that is ultimately based on notions of enmity and discord. But is it necessarily the case that violence and conflict are coextensive? Indeed why do we hold onto the idea that the political is a process which only gains meaning in its attempts to navigate the insecure sediment of existence?
This talk will challenge conventional notions of violence, conflict and the political in order to show why "conflict matters" as a creative force in the task of creating better futures. The political in this regard is seen more as an art for living, which harnessing the creative power of the political imagination, counters violence with a more affirmative claim to becoming human in the world.
Organized by the Evens Foundation in partnership with the University of Cambridge and British Academy.
London, November 8 - 10 2017
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