Nacht van de schrijvers en denkers

Whether it concerns the first philosophical questions from Ancient Greece or the great novels of Europe: stories are never without purpose. They reflect how a culture understands itself and simultaneously shape who we become.

Where do the sources of Western thought and storytelling lie? In what way are European literature and philosophy connected to the self-image of a continent? From the Code of Hammurabi, the Old Testament, and the Epic of Gilgamesh, through Plato, Socrates, and Euclid, to medieval chivalric romances and Dante's Divine Comedy, to Shakespeare's great tragedies, Kafka's alienation, and Beauvoir's existentialism. Melissa Giardina engages in conversation with philosopher Johan Braeckman and literary scholar Bart Keunen, two professors from Ghent who explore European philosophy and storytelling culture in depth.

Both have recently compiled that knowledge into a vibrant overview work. Johan Braeckman - former professor of philosophy at Ghent University - presents his book 'The Story of Philosophy: Antiquity'. Bart Keunen - professor of Comparative Literature at Ghent University - presents his book 'A Journey Through European Literature - 20 City Trips, 40 Classics, and 1500 Years of Cultural History'.