Debt is an economic concept that has shaped everything, from religious beliefs and moral values to political ideologies. In recent years, it has been considered by scholars (Graeber 2011, Lazzarato 2011, Stimilli, 2015) as a prominent category through which to analyse the relationship between global governance and individual lives. The complexity of the current phenomenon of debt has led scholars from different disciplines to challenge traditional understandings of debt and investigate new ways of conceiving it. This interdisciplinary workshop aims at contributing to the current debate by focusing on debt as a condition rather than an occurrence, and exploring the philosophical, social, political, and artistic implications of such a conceptualisation. In this light, how should we consider the notion of origin in relation to debt, the problem of its transmission, the possibility of its end? How do we reconcile the fact that debt is generalised and yet its burden is borne disproportionately by marginalised groups?
Hosted on the 6th of September at the University of Oxford, this workshop brings together scholars working across different disciplines to explore methodological issues arising from considering such a ubiquitous and yet slippery phenomenon. With a view to initiating productive conversations about the intersection of social, economic, existential, and aesthetic issues, the workshop consists of a series of talks followed by Q&A and a roundtable discussion. The complete programme can be found here: www.torch.ox.ac.uk/event/being-in-debt-workshop