Seminars Spring 2026

PHILOSOPHY

Imagining Ecological Civilization - Jaco KRUGER

The word “civilization” is highly charged. Like “freedom”, “democracy”, “dignity” and “nature” to name a few, “civilization” is a rhetorical word employed to sway the hearer in some desired direction. Like these other terms, “civilization” is also vague and ambiguous resulting in it having to be well defined at the outset if it is to do meaningful philosophical work. In its modern Western form, the word “civilization” first appeared in eighteenth century France when a significant part of its use was in the service of cultural chauvinism and to legitimise modern Western colonization in its various forms. Against this background some contemporary commentators have dismissed the use of the term “civilization” altogether. However, it appears that despite its possible negative historical connotations, the word civilization keeps on stirring the imagination. The steady stream of publications with civilization, or civilizations as theme attest to the enduring allure of the topic. Recently, a significant part of the discussion on civilization has shifted towards the theme of civilizational collapse – so called collapsology. This is in response to the various crises facing the contemporary world, not least of which is the climate crisis and the mass extinction event currently underway.
As a contribution to the discussion, this seminar investigates the notion of ecological civilization, first put forward in the twentieth century in the Soviet Union and China, but gaining increasing traction all over the world. In the West the notion of ecological civilization has been taken up notably by process thinkers building on the thought of Alfred North Whitehead. In this seminar we contribute to the discussion by considering possible philosophical foundations for the notion of ecological civilization as well as possible characteristics of ecological civilization.

Democracy and its Discontents in the 21st Century - Isaac Mutelo

Abraham Lincoln famously defined democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Although democracy can be thought of as ‘power of the people,’ several challenges exist. The seminar addresses complex challenges that contemporary democracies face. Key issues to be explored include human rights abuses, rising inequality, authoritarianism, and the impact of disinformation on public trust and civic engagement.
Participants will analyze specific case studies from countries from Africa, Europe and the United States, highlighting how these issues manifest in different political contexts. The seminar will also encourage discussions on the implications of populism, the erosion of democratic norms, and the struggle for social justice. By examining these pressing concerns, the seminar aims to foster a deeper understanding of the threats to democracy and to explore collaborative strategies for promoting human rights, equality, and democratic resilience in the contemporary world.

Augustin confesse et se confesse - Jorel François

Penseur de la transition entre les Anciens et les Modernes, mais encore et surtout de l’Antiquité tardive au Moyen âge, Augustin domine le haut Moyen-Âge avant que la redécouverte du corpus aristotélicien ne vienne troubler cet état de fait et rendre désormais possible la séparation entre théologie et philosophie dans le cadre chrétien de l’époque. À travers des idées reprises de Plotin qu’il ne lit pas dans le grec, Augustin a pour ainsi dire imposé la pensée de Platon dans le christianisme médiéval. À la renaissance, c’est encore lui qui est revendiqué par Luther comme maître à penser pour mener sa « Réforme » par-delà une certaine scolastique. Descartes ne l’avait probablement pas lu, mais son cogito qui inaugure la Modernité rappelle encore Augustin qui est relu dans le jansénisme. Les Confessions de Rousseau n’ont peut-être que le nom de commun avec celles de saint Augustin, mais on ne peut les lire sans songer que l’évêque d’Hippone fût le premier à avoir ouvert la voie à ce genre littéraire. Le XIXe siècle, siècle du scientisme, de néo-thomisme et de romantisme fut aussi le siècle de saint Augustin. En plein XXe siècle, Augustin est étudié à l’université en France au moins avec Étienne Gilson; en Allemagne, Hannah Arendt a fait sa thèse sur lui…
Augustin reste un penseur encore actuel par bien des égards, et en tant que tel, il mérite d’être lu et relu… Nous proposons dans ce séminaire de lire ses Confessions qui, avec la Cité de Dieu, est l’un de ses œuvres fondamentales. Nous suivrons le livre à la trace.