Public Lecture by Ulrich Beck 

The ‘Cosmopolitan Moment’ of World Risk 

                                       
Global risks are the main triggers of an explosive transformation that is rendering visible the contours of society in the twenty-first century. The theory of world risk society addresses the increasing ubiquity of globally manufactured uncertainty and thereby makes us recognize the plurality of the world. The cosmopolitical imperative ‘cooperate or fail!’ becomes part of the political agenda. This way world risk society opens up a moral space of high ambivalence, it gives rise to a ‘Hegelian’ and/or a ‘Carl Schmittian’ scenario of future politics.

Until July 2009 Ulrich Beck was professor of sociology at Munich’s Ludwig-Maximillian University. He is now BJS visiting Centennial Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Professor at the Fondation Maison des sciences de l'homme, Paris. He has honorary doctorates from several universities and was founding director of the research institute “Reflexive Modernisation” at the University of Munich until 2009. Beck is one of the most famous German sociologists of today, whose concepts achieve responses beyond academic. In 1999 Beck was awarded the CICERO-prize, in 1996 the cultural prize of the city of Munich and in 2005 he received the Schader Prize, the highest award for social scientists in Germany. Professor Beck's books have been translated into more than 40 languages and he regularly publishes essays in the major national newspapers in Europe. His publications include: Reflexive Modernization (1994), Power in the Global Age (2005), Cosmopolitan vision (2006), Cosmopolitan Europe (2007), World at Risk (2008) and A God of One’s Own (2010).

 The public lecture is free of charge. We recommend however that you register, by sending an email to: cfh@uu.nl

 Furthermore, the CfH offers you the unique opportunity to participate in a master class on The Reality of Cosmopolitanism with this renowned intellectual. In his master class you will dive into 'The Paradigm Shift in Social Theory and Research. Research Masters and PhD's are eligible to apply for this class by sending a short motivation and CV to: cfh@uu.nl

Application Deadline: January 9, 2012