I am Wolfgang Leidhold, a professor at the University of Cologne. Here I’ll introduce you to my book on the History of Experience. For a short overview of my academic life, see the About-Page. For the artistic part of my life, see my Instagram– or my Art-Page.
-> Current events are detailed at the end of this page <-
The History
of Experience
The History of Experience with its 9 turns is a study in experiential evolution from the Paleolithic to the present. Soon Taylor & Francis (New York) will publish it in the Routledge series on Cultural History.
The Summary-Page and following Theory-Page will provide an overview of the book’s basic ideas. I will start with the concept of experience and its evolving structure and continue with its implications for the human culture.
Current events
Conference:
“Structure of Experience – Implications for Man, Society and Politics”
On Friday July 8th, the Fritz Thyssen Foundation in Cologne hosted a conference on the “Structure of Experience – Implications for Man, Society and Politics”, based on the title of my Festschrift published a year ago. Now, however, the subject was my latest book: The History of Experience. There I show how the structure of experience changes in nine transformations from the Paleolithic to the present. Contrary to common opinion, it is not a constant. Rather, the history of experience is an evolutionary process. Different mixtures of these nine experiential dimensions each produce different cultures. The core thesis thus presents a new view of culture and history. My opening talk presented an introduction to this paradigm shift and its genesis.
Four generations of my teachers, colleagues, friends, and students were gathered. Keynotes and panels highlighted the paradigm shift and its implications. Inah-Maria Maahs and Claudius Mandel examined the “creative” and the “media experience.” Two panels explored the issues of “The Self-Conscious Individual in the 21st Century” and “Creative Europe in the 21st Century – Opportunities and Risks.” The lectures and discussions offered a dialogue workshop of open minds, gathered as an open community.
My special thanks go to Claudius Mandel, Frank Schulz-Nieswand and Philipp Thimm, who initiated and excellently organized the conference!
Interested in programs with Claudius Mandel and Wolfgang Leidhold on interdisciplinary keynotes and workshops? Then visit: https://www.dialogwerkstatt.org
Conference schedule July 8th, 2022:
German Version only! – If you need assistance, pls contact me via email