Georges Bataille was interested in everything that disrupted, be it laughter, the sacred, sovereignty, inner experience, heterogeneity or excess. In an increasingly homogeneous age, Bataille's attempt to remain open to all that disturbs is more vital than ever. In an era of AI, surveillance, groupthink and conceptual rigidity, how can we break out of patterns that seem to be imposed from all angles? This course will cover major concepts from Bataille's work, drawing on both his philosophy (or anti-philosophy) and his literature.