Beer Prakken presentation: “The challenge of dark play in far right politics: towards a play ethic”

Beer Prakken presentation's at department colloquium visual
  • 13 Feb 2026
  • 14:15–15:45
  • Jakobi 2-336 and Zoom
  • filosoofia osakond, Tartu Ülikooli eetikakeskus, Prof. Dr. Theda Rehbock's Susimetsa Philosophicum
Other

On Friday, 13 February at 14:15, an English-language colloquium will take place at the University of Tartu Philosophicum (Jakobi 2–336) and on Zoom, where Beer Pieterjan Prakken from the University of Groningen will explore dark play in far-right politics and defend fair play as a political virtue. The colloquium will be moderated by Ove Averin, Junior Research Fellow in Philosophy, Bachelor’s Programme Director.

Contemporary far right politics enables, sustains, and reinforces dark play – humorous, deceptive, non-liminal performances – that collapse the play/serious boundary. I defend Johan Huizinga’s liminal fair play as a political virtue through Aristotle's virtue of eutrapelia and show how dark play exploits humor to radicalize into violence and cruelty.

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Beer Prakken presentation's at department colloquium visual
Author: Kertu Rajando

This colloquium is part of the Susimetsa Philosophicum Residency Programme, where the residents present the results of their research projects.

The colloquium is organised by the Department of Philosophy and the Centre for Ethics of the University of Tartu.

The colloquium is supported by the NGO Prof. Dr. Theda Rehbock's Susimetsa Philosophicum.

  • 13 Feb 2026
  • 14:15–15:45
  • Jakobi 2-336 and Zoom
  • filosoofia osakond, Tartu Ülikooli eetikakeskus, Prof. Dr. Theda Rehbock's Susimetsa Philosophicum
Other
Further information:
Margit Sutrop
Dr. phil. (Philosophy)
Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics
Centre for Ethics
Head of Centre
Jakobi 2–332
Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics
Department of Philosophy
Chair of Practical Philosophy
Professor of Practical Philosophy, 0.5 p
Jakobi 2–332
+372 737 5327
+372 520 7183
Riin Sirkel
PhD (Philosophy)
Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics
Department of Philosophy
Chair of History of Philosophy
Associate Professor of Ancient Philosophy
Jakobi 2–325