Professor David Peimer
Machiavelli: Hero? Villain? Realist? Cynic? Philosopher?
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Summary
Five hundred years after his death, the name of Machiavelli continues to evoke passionate debate. In this presentation, we will look at the man, his life, ideas, and influence on political philosophy. We will explore how he emancipated politics from theology and described what he saw rulers actually doing—a reality often bereft of questions of good and bad in the relentless pursuit of power. Lastly, we will examine how his mere name conjures up a dark mythology and vision.
Professor David Peimer
David Peimer is a professor of theatre and performance studies in the UK. He has taught at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and New York University (Global Division), and was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. Born in South Africa, David has won numerous awards for playwriting and directing. He has written eleven plays and directed forty in places like South Africa, New York, Brussels, London, Berlin, Zulu Kingdom, Athens, and more. His writing has been published widely and he is the editor of Armed Response: Plays from South Africa (2009) and the interactive digital book Theatre in the Camps (2012). He is on the board of the Pinter Centre in London.