UNC Asheville will host two talks by noted philosopher Alphonso Lingis April 5-6 in UNC Asheville's Karpen Hall, room 012. Lingis will present a talk on "Contact" at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 5 and will lead a discussion at 9 a.m. Friday, April 6. Both events are free and open to the public.

The Baltimore City Paper hails Lingis as "the most relevant and original contemporary philosopher working." Specializing in phenomenology, existentialism, modern philosophy and ethics, Lingis has published 13 works and is Professor Emeritus at Pennsylvania State University. His wide body of work features both academic and nonacademic but philosophical pieces such as "Dangerous Emotions," "Abuses" and "The Community of Those Who Have Nothing in Common." Lingis is a noted translator, recognized for his skill at clarifying difficult works by French philosophers Merleau Ponty and Emmanuel Levinas.

Lingis' talk is sponsored by UNC Asheville's Office of Cultural & Special Events, Philosophy Department and Mass Communication Department. For more information, call UNC Asheville's Mass Communication Department at 828/232-5027.