Aufklärung in Zeiten der Verdunkelung
Enlightenment in Times of Obscuration
Talk Talks & Workshops
Our prosperity continues to depend on the use of fossil fuels, on an economy that hinges on growth at any price – and on an image that perceives humans as reigning over nature. Yet it increasingly shows that this stance is reaching its boundaries. The planet heats up at an alarming rate, species go extinct, and social as well political tensions are on the rise all around the globe. Democracy and human rights, the accomplishments of enlightenment, are coming under increasing duress, and the more acute the current crisis turns, the more seductive the sound of the populists’ simple answers becomes.
Philosopher Philipp Blom describes our present as a time of upheaval – a phase in which we must critically scrutinise the erstwhile promises of unlimited growth and technological progress. And this is a good thing! Because doubt means to enlighten and to ask: Are there better ways, better goals? Let us doubt old world views together and face the complexity of real, existential intertwinement. But how can we broaden our view and courageously think enlightenment forward? How can we create species-appropriate conditions for homo sapiens? What does a future narrative look like that is capable of telling tales of hope beyond illusion? Florian Chefai and philosopher Philipp Blom will converse live, both before and with the audience, about all this. Philipp Blom lives in Vienna and will be connected live for the event.
cast
Philipp Blom, philosopher, historian, author, and journalist. He became a darling of the secular scene with the publication of “Böse Philosophen” (“Evil Philosophers”) in 2011 and has been on the Giordano Bruno Stiftung advisory board since 2015. Many of his books circle around enlightenment: “Das vernünftige Ungeheuer. Diderot, d’Alembert, de Jaucourt und die Große Enzyklopädie”(“The Rational Beast. Diderot, d’Alembert, de Jaucourt and the Great Encyclopedia”), 2005; “Die Welt aus den Angeln” (“A World Unhinged”), 2017; “Was auf dem Spiel steht” (“What is at Stake”), 2017; “Das große Welttheater. Von der Macht der Vorstellungskraft in Zeiten des Umbruchs” (“The Grand World Theatre. On the Power of Imagination in Times of Upheaval”), 2020; “Die Unterwerfung: Anfang und Ende der menschlichen Herrschaft über die Natur” (“Submission: Beginning and End of the Human Reign over Nature”), 2022, and, most recently, “Hoffnung. Über ein kluges Verhältnis zur Welt.” (“Hope. About a Wise Relation to the World”), 2024. Additionally, Philipp Blom hosts the “Punkt Eins” programme on Austrian culture channel Ö1, makes films such as the multiple award-winning documentary series “Der taumelnde Kontinent” (“The Staggering Continent”) and curates exhibitions in Europe and the US.
Florian Chefai manages the Hans Albert Institute as scientific coordinator and is responsible for public relations and press at the Giordano Bruno Stiftung. His thematic focus lies with questions of ethics, philosophy of law, and the history of ideas. He served as the deputy editor-in-chief of the Humanistische Pressedienst (hpd) from 2015 to 2019, afterwards writing for Philosophie-Magazin and other periodicals. He accompanied various humanitarian projects and counselled institutions on radicalisation and extremism.
Moderation: Eva Creutz
Moderation live chat and online discussion: Katrin Wiesemann
Live stream: Ricarda Hinz
credits
A cooperation event with DA! and Hans Albert Institute and Heinrich Heine Salon.