LECTURE SERIES

THE NEED FOR A REVOLUTION

THU 2, 9, 16, 23 AND 30 NOV – 19:30 TO 21:30
Karl Dittrich Hall, Student Services Centre, Bonnefantenstraat 2

Rene Gabriëls, PhD
Assistant professor of philosophy, UM

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List for 2022 highlights the mass extinction of plants and animals. According to this list, 42,100 species are threatened with extinction, which is 28% of all species. It is estimated that between 150 and 200 plants and animals disappear every day. How can this ecocide be stopped? And would it require a radical change in the way people live? According to the World Bank, about 9.2% of the world's population lives in extreme poverty, i.e. they live below the International Poverty Line of $2.15 per day. An estimated 25,000 people die from hunger every day. According to Oxfam, since 2020 the richest 1% have “captured almost two-thirds of all new wealth – nearly twice as much money as the bottom 99% of the world’s population.” How can poverty and hunger be ended? Given the geopolitical relations, various scholars point to all kinds of threats to democracy. People who suffer the most from the ecocide and poverty are the least heard. How can they be given a democratic vote? Should the democratisation of politics be higher on the agenda? Capitalism is the main reason for the ecocide, the socio-economic inequality and the threatened democracy. Isn't it time for a revolution? This question is central to this lecture series. With that in mind, it is also important to critically examine the academic world. Doesn’t it contribute enormously to reproducing the ecologically, socio-economically and politically unjust status quo? How can the university be turned into a sustainable, fair and democratic institution?

The individual lectures
1.  Evolution and Revolution (2 Nov)
2.  The Ecological Catastrophe (9 Nov)
3.  Grinding Poverty (16 Nov)
4.  Authoritarian Capitalism (23 Nov)
5.  Theory and Praxis (30 Nov)
 

Cost of the whole series
UM students €10

UM employees and students from other schools €25
Others €50
 

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