Standing Somewhere: How Experience Shapes the Way We Think - Andy West

Andy West challenges the idea that philosophy is a detached, purely rational activity.

Drawing on his own life and his work teaching philosophy in prisons, he explores how thinking is always rooted in experience, in family histories, fears, loyalties, losses and the places we come from.

He reflects on how standpoint shapes the questions we dare to ask, the ideas we resist, and the meanings we search for, whether in moments of shame, hope or uncertainty.

Through candid stories and philosophical insight, West shows that acknowledging where we stand does not limit thought but deepens it, making philosophy more humane, more honest and more connected to real lives.

This session invites audiences to consider how their own experiences shape their thinking, and how recognising that standpoint can open new possibilities for understanding ourselves and others.Followed by book-signing.