York University’s graduate program in social and political thought, together with the Department of Social Science, presents a talk by Banu Helvacıoğlu, Department of Political Science, Bilkent University, Ankara on “‘Delightful Horror’: The Failed ‘Coup Attempt’ in Turkey and War Diplomacy in the ‘Region’”.
The event takes place on Nov. 3 from 12:30 to 2:20pm in S752 Ross Building, and will explore Edmund Burke’s notion of ‘delightful horror’, which is used to define the sublime, “capable of producing delight, not pleasure … [not indifference, not grief, but] … a sort of tranquility tinged with terror”.
In its highest degree, it is associated with astonishment. Defined as such, delightful horror runs in the background of this paper as a descriptive trait of the contradictory imperatives of an instinct for self-survival, individual freedom and subordination to various forms of power.
With regard to the so-called failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15 and 16, 2016, the talk will focus on the implosion of a power struggle in every conceivable – institutional, political, religious, social, recreational and private – echelons of life. Such an immense implosion is incommensurate with any of the previous military interventions in Turkey since 1960.
The talk will also touch on the question of beginning originates, where Helvacıoğlu will offer some limited pointers about the almost daily changing directions in an intransigent war diplomacy involving nation-states, armed wings of non-state groups, the supra-national organizations, NGOs, and infinitely rich, ancient differences among peoples that have been codified as ethnic and religious groups.
Refreshments will be served.