The Gilbert Ryle Lecture Series: Bhattacharyya on Aesthetic Swaraj featuring Dr. Dominic McIver Lopes
Trent University’s Department of Philosophy is pleased to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Gilbert Ryle Lecture Series, a longstanding tradition of bringing distinguished philosophers to campus to explore important questions in philosophy and society.
To mark this milestone, the 2026 Ryle Lecture Series welcomes Dr. Dominic McIver Lopes, Distinguished University Scholar and Professor of Philosophy, for a special three-lecture series exploring The Political Promise of Aesthetic Engagement.
Lecture 2: Bhattacharyya on Aesthetic Swaraj
Drawing on the work of Indian philosopher K. C. Bhattacharyya, this lecture explores the idea of aesthetic swaraj, or the exercise of freedom through aesthetic emotion. Dr. Dominic McIver Lopes considers how aesthetic experience can contribute to independence from a colonial mindset and open new ways of thinking about cultural identity, freedom, and self determination.
About Dr. Dominic McIver Lopes
Professor Dominic McIver Lopes FRSC, is the University Killam Professor at UBC, and is the author of several books, including Aesthetic Injustice (2024) and Being for Beauty: Aesthetic Agency and Value (2018). In recent work, he has crafted a theory of aesthetic value as embedded in social practices, and he has proposed a conception of aesthetic injustice as a factor in social injustice. Professor Lopes is the author of twelve books and numerous articles in the areas of Aesthetics, Asian Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind/Cognitive Science, and Social and Political Philosophy.
For more information email philosophy@trentu.ca.
Community Speaker Series
At Trent University, we believe in the power of lifelong learning and professional development for our alumni, staff, faculty, students, and community members. Each year, Trent offers public lectures featuring distinguished visiting scholars and experts, sharing ideas and knowledge on subjects such as the Environment, Business and Public Policy, Philosophy, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Thanks to generous philanthropic support, these talks are free and open to both the Trent community and the public.