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Hilary Lawson

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Hilary Lawson
Era21st-century philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolContinental philosophy
Main interests
Notable ideas
  • Theory of closure
  • Reflexivity

Hilary Lawson is an English philosopher and founder of the Institute of Art and Ideas.[1][2] His theory of "closure"[3] puts forward a non-realist metaphysics arguing that people close the openness of the world with thought and language.[4] Lawson has also had a broadcasting and documentary film-making career[5] and founded Television and Film Productions, now known as TVF Media.[6]

Biography

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Lawson graduated from Balliol College, Oxford with a first in PPE, and as a post-graduate began a DPhil on the problems of self-reference.[7] This later became his book Reflexivity: The Post-Modern Predicament (1985)[8] as part of the series Problems of Modern European Thought in which he argued that self-referential paradoxes are central to twentieth century philosophy, and specifically post-modernism.[9][10]

Later, Lawson pursued a broadcasting career. As a writer and director he made documentaries, created the series Where There's Life[11] and co-authored a book based on the series.[12] At 28, he was appointed editor of programmes at TV-am.[13][14] In the late 1980s he founded the production company TVF Media[15] which made documentary and current affairs programming, including Channel 4's international current affairs programme, The World This Week.[16] Lawson was editor of the programme which ran weekly between 1987 and 1991.[17]

His book Closure was published in 2001.[18] The book has been described by Don Cupitt as "perhaps the first largescale Anglo-Saxon non-realist 'metaphysics'".[19]

Lawson founded the Institute of Art and Ideas in 2008 with the aim of making ideas and philosophy a central part of cultural life.[20][21]

Philosophical work

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Initially influenced by postmodernism at the outset of his career, Lawson contributed to and co-edited the collection of essays Dismantling Truth: Reality in the Post-Modern World, which explored the philosophical core of the theory.[22][23] He also published the pamphlet After Truth - A Post Modern Manifesto, written in collaboration with Hugh Tomlinson, a translator of Deleuze.[24] The influence of a postmodern approach continued in his collaborations with the American philosopher Richard Rorty, who contributed to Lawson's BBC film Science...Fiction?[25] in which Lawson argued that "science is not powerful because it is true, but true because it is powerful"[26] and in Lawson's subsequent film on Plato entitled The First World. Rorty also contributed to Lawson's collection Dismantling Truth.[27]

These works demonstrate Lawson’s long-standing scepticism of realism, apparent in the last decade from his exchange of articles with Timothy Williamson[28][29][30] and debates with analytic philosophers John Searle,[31] Simon Blackburn,[32] and others.[33][34] Despite accepting the basic postmodernist claims about the unrealistic nature of an objective truth, Lawson emphasises the need for “post-realism”. He argues that postmodernism is made incoherent by self-reference and ‘associated project of describing the relationship between language and the world.’[35][36][37]

Lawson’s theory of “closure” responds to his rejection of realism and postmodernism, by proposing that the world is open and complex, but that it is enclosed by defined limits such as language and meaning.[38][39] As Patrick Dillon says, ‘Closure can be understood as the imposition of fixity on openness. The closing of that which is open. […] Through closure there are things’.[40] The theory shifts the focus of metaphysics away from language and towards an exploration of the tension between openness and closure.[41][42] Given Lawson’s earlier work on self-reference, an important element of the theory of “closure” is its own self-referential nature.[43]

The framework of closure enables Lawson to claim that he provides an account of the relationship between language and the world that does not rely on reference and which he argues overcomes the problem of how language is hooked onto the world that beset twentieth century philosophy.[38][44] One of the consequences of the theory is that philosophical oppositions, between language and the world, fact and value, are no longer regarded as oppositions.[45][46] Lawson proposes that science is 'driven by the search for closure’, whilst art is described as 'the pursuit of openness and the avoidance of closure', demonstrating that the two are not in opposition to one another but rather in different relationships to openness and closure.[47]

Books

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In Reflexivity, Lawson argued that self-reference was central to contemporary philosophy.[48] Using Nietzsche, Heidegger and Derrida as the main examples, he sought to show that reflexivity was the primary motor of their work.[49][50] It was implicit that similar arguments could be applied to Wittgenstein and the analytic tradition.[51][52]

The introduction to Closure extends the arguments put forward in Reflexivity to the broader philosophical tradition.[53] It argues that issues of self-reference undermine currently available philosophical positions. The main body of the book describes the process of closure and the means by which people can intervene in the world and seemingly understand it.[54][55][56] In doing so it seeks to demonstrate that meaning and understanding are not dependent on notions of reference and truth, arguing that although there is nothing in common between closure and openness this does not limit the ability to intervene successfully in the world.[57][58][59] Other books include Dismantling Truth: Science in Post-Modern Times.[60] Articles include After Truth,[61] On Integrity,[62] and Philosophy As.[63][64][65]

Art

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Lawson created his first video paintings in 2001, with the aim of escaping narrative closure.[66][67] He went on to found the Artscape Project in 2003, which brought a collective of artists together to develop the new medium.[68][69]

His video painting work has been exhibited at: the Hayward Gallery (2006); sketch (restaurant) (2007),[70] the ICA (2007), and The Globe at Hay gallery (2008).[71] Now Revisited, performed at Shunt, London in 2009, was a video painting installation in five acts in which the audience found themselves the subject of the work.[72][73]

Documentary film and factual television

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Lawson's documentary films include: Your Own Worst Enemy, writer and producer, (ITV); Science … fiction?, written and directed (BBC);[74][75] Broken Images, written and directed (BBC);[76][77][78] The First World, written and directed (Channel 4);[79] The Man, the Myth, and The Maker, produced and presented (Channel 4); Incredible Evidence (90mins),[80] written and directed (Channel 4). His current affairs output includes: The World This Week (1hr, weekly 1988-93), Editor (Channel 4); Cooking the Books, written and directed (Channel 4);[81] Patent on Life, written and directed (Channel 4); For Queen or Country, written and directed (Channel 4).[82]

Awards

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  • The Emily Award, American Film and Video Festival, ‘The First World’, 1991[83]
  • Educational Award, Royal Television Society, Nomination, ‘Write Away! Beginnings, Middles and Endings’, 2000[84]
  • Children’s | Schools Factual - Primary Award, British Academy Award, Nomination, ‘Just Write: Stand Up Poetry’, 2000-1[85]

References

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  1. ^ "Hilary Lawson". Forum for Philosophy. 7 July 2014.
  2. ^ James Waddell (11 August 2022). "The Ideas Man". The Fence (12). Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Hilary Lawson". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  4. ^ Law, J (2004). After method: Mess in Social Science Research. Routledge.
  5. ^ "Hilary Lawson". BFI. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018.
  6. ^ Raymond, Gary (26 May 2016). "Interview: Hilary Lawson, Director of How The Light Gets In". Wales Art Review. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Hilary Lawson". Forum for Philosophy. 7 July 2014.
  8. ^ Cilliers, P (1998). Complexity and postmodernism: Understanding Complex Systems. Routledge.
  9. ^ Harvey, Lee (1988). "Review: Reflexivity: The Post-Modern Predicament by Hilary Lawson". Acta Sociologica. 31: 185. doi:10.1177/000169938803100207. JSTOR 4200700. S2CID 144925032. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  10. ^ Nakayama, Tom (1995). "Whiteness: A strategic rhetoric" (PDF). Quarterly Journal of Speech. 81 (3): 303. doi:10.1080/00335639509384117.
  11. ^ "BFI National Library and BFI National Archive". JICTAR Weekly Audience TV Reports. 1981.
  12. ^ Joseph, Michael (1982). Where There's Life. ISBN 0-7181-2137-6.
  13. ^ Bonner, P; Aston, L (2003). Independent Television in Britain: New Developments in Independent Television 1981-92: Channel 4, TV-am, Cable and Satellite. Palgrave Macmillan.
  14. ^ Mair, John (4 May 2010). "Waking up to a new era". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  15. ^ Montefiore, Alan (1999). Integrity in the Public and Private Domains. Routledge. ISBN 9781134679386. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  16. ^ "BFI National Library and BFI National Archive". JICTAR Weekly Audience TV Reports. 1981.
  17. ^ "Hilary Lawson". BFI. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018.
  18. ^ Lawson, Hilary (2001). Closure: A Story of Everything. Routledge.
  19. ^ Cupitt, Don (2002). Is Nothing Sacred?: The Non-realist Philosophy of Religion : Selected Essays. New York: Fordham University Press. pp. xxi. ISBN 0-8232-2203-9.
  20. ^ "Oxford University Philosophy Society, Hilary 2018 Termcard".
  21. ^ Raymond, Gary (26 May 2016). "Interview: Hilary Lawson, Director of How The Light Gets In". Wales Art Review. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  22. ^ Dismantling Truth: Reality in the Post-Modern World. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. 1989.
  23. ^ Troiani, Igea Santina (2005). The politics of friends in modern architecture 1949-1987 (PDF) (Thesis). Queensland University of Technology. p. 24. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  24. ^ After Truth - A Post Modern Manifesto. Inventions Press UK. 1986.
  25. ^ "Horizon, BBC, tx". the tvdb. 17 February 1986. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  26. ^ Hackett, Dennis (27 February 1986). New Scientist Review. p. 53.
  27. ^ Rorty, Richard (1989). "Dismantling Truth: Reality in the Post-Modern World". History of the Human Sciences. 9 (3). Weidenfeld and Nicolson: 1–25. doi:10.1177/095269519600900301. S2CID 145627339.
  28. ^ Lawson, Hilary. "Post-realism". IAI news.
  29. ^ Williamson, Timothy (29 January 2021). "In defence of realism". IAI news.
  30. ^ Williamson, Timothy (23 February 2021). "Politics, truth and self-reference". IAI news.
  31. ^ "After the End of Truth | John Searle, Hilary Lawson Hannah Dawson". art19.com. Philosophy For Our Times. 31 August 2016.
  32. ^ "Morality Before Metaphysics". IMDB.
  33. ^ "Is Post-modernism to Blame for Our Post-truth World?". LSE Player. 2 October 2017.
  34. ^ "Error, Lies and Adventure: the pursuit of adventure". LSE Player. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  35. ^ "Oxford University Philosophy Society, Hilary 2018 Termcard".
  36. ^ Lawson, Hilary. "Post-realism". IAI news.
  37. ^ "Hilary Lawson". Forum for Philosophy. 7 July 2014.
  38. ^ a b Barton, John Arthur (2007). Systems Thinking: Philosophy, Methodology and Applications to Knowledge Management (PDF) (Thesis). Monash University. p. 46.
  39. ^ Besner, Linda (10 June 2013). "The Closure Delusion". Hazlitt. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  40. ^ Dillon, Patrick (March 2007). "An Epistemology of Presence and Reconceptualisation in Design Education". Interchange: 82.
  41. ^ Fryer, Gladin (2007). A practice of painting: living with the reception and generation of image on the visual threshold (Thesis). University of Plymouth.
  42. ^ Eyres, Harry (6 December 2013). "Among the ghosts of Fleet Street". Financial Times. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  43. ^ du Toit, Cornel W (2007). Viewed from the Shoulders of God: Themes in Science and Theology (PDF). Pretoria: University of South Africa. pp. 161–162. ISBN 978-1-86888-481-0.
  44. ^ Besner, Linda (10 June 2013). "The Closure Delusion". Hazlitt. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  45. ^ "Beyond Truth: Error and Adventure". LSE Player. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  46. ^ "The Power of Lies". LSE Podcasts. 21 March 2013.
  47. ^ Eyres, Harry (6 December 2013). "Among the ghosts of Fleet Street". Financial Times. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  48. ^ Taylor, Mark C. (1987). "Lawson, Hilary, "Reflexivity: The Post-modern Predicament" (Book Review)". Journal of the American Academy of Religion. 55 (2): 402. doi:10.1093/jaarel/LV.2.402.
  49. ^ Macey, David (1987). "Hammers and Nuts" (PDF). Radical Philosophy (45): 47. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  50. ^ Lather, P (1991). Feminist research and pedagogy within/in the postmodern.
  51. ^ Cilliers, P (1998). Complexity and postmodernism: Understanding Complex Systems. Routledge.
  52. ^ Wilber, K (2001). Sex, ecology, spirituality: The Spirit of Evolution. Shambhala.
  53. ^ Lawson, Hilary (2001). Closure: A Story of Everything. Routledge.
  54. ^ Law, J (2004). After method: Mess in Social Science Research. Routledge.
  55. ^ Barton, J; Stephens, J; Haslett, T (2009). "Action Research: Its Foundations in Open Systems Thinking and Relationship to the Scientific Method". Systemic Practice and Action Research. 22 (6): 481. doi:10.1007/s11213-009-9148-6. S2CID 144252485.
  56. ^ Evans, K (2005). An introduction to integrative psychotherapy.
  57. ^ "Beyond Truth: Error and Adventure". LSE Player. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  58. ^ "The Power of Lies". LSE Podcasts. 21 March 2013.
  59. ^ "Is Post-modernism to Blame for Our Post-truth World?". LSE Player. 2 October 2017.
  60. ^ Dismantling Truth: Reality in the Post-Modern World. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. 1989.
  61. ^ After Truth - A Post Modern Manifesto. Inventions Press UK. 1986.
  62. ^ Lawson, Hilary (15 May 2013). "On Integrity". Port Magazine. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  63. ^ Kang, Meng Chow (2008). "An action research derived piezoelectric approach for information risk management". Southern Cross University. p. 209.
  64. ^ Lawrence, Stephen (2010). "A Poetic of Disunity: Selves and Silence" (PDF). Digital Library. University of Adelaide.
  65. ^ Lawson, Hilary (2008). "The Poetic Strategy". IABLIS. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  66. ^ Suess, E (2014). "Doors don't slam: Time-based architectural representation". Consuming Architecture. Routledge. pp. 259–275. doi:10.4324/9781315813523-23. ISBN 9781315813523. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  67. ^ Bolewski, Christin (2021). Narrative and spatiotemporal structure in video painting (thesis). Loughborough University. p. 12. doi:10.26174/thesis.lboro.14547030.v1.
  68. ^ "The Open Prize for Video Painting 2010". Aesthetica. 21 July 2010.
  69. ^ "Open gallery at the London Art Fair". Artrabbit. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  70. ^ "Video Painting". Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  71. ^ "The Globe at Hay". Visit Wales. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  72. ^ "Now Revisited". Artrabbit. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  73. ^ "Hilary Lawson, Now Revisited Revisited (2009)". www.opengallery.co.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  74. ^ Hackett, Dennis (27 February 1986). New Scientist Review. p. 53.
  75. ^ "Lawson Hilary Lawson Results". British Universities Film & Video Council.
  76. ^ "Hilary Lawson". IMDB. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  77. ^ Herbert, Hugh (31 March 1987). "Broken Images". The Guardian.
  78. ^ Cropper, Martin (31 March 1987). "Broken Images". The Times.
  79. ^ "The First World". TVF International.
  80. ^ "Hilary Lawson". IMDB. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  81. ^ "Hilary Lawson". IMDB. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  82. ^ "Hilary Lawson". BFI. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018.
  83. ^ "The First World". TVF International.
  84. ^ "Educational Television Awards 2000". Royal Television Society. 24 January 2011.
  85. ^ "Children's | Schools Factual - Primary in 2001". BAFTA.
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