Program in Dutch: On Monday, June 8, we will delve deeper into the life and work of Australian philosopher and ecofeminist Val Plumwood.
In 1985, Plumwood narrowly escaped an attack by a saltwater crocodile during a canoe trip in Kakadu National Park. This profound experience resulted in her vision for a relational view of humanity, in which people do not place themselves above or outside of nature, but understand themselves as part of it. She criticized the idea of human superiority and emphasized the interdependence between humans, animals, and ecosystems.
During the evening program, we will talk with philosopher Daan Roovers, among others, about Plumwood's ideas. What do her ideas about humans and nature mean today, now that the world is struggling with increasing climate problems and animal suffering? And what can we learn from Plumwood's encounter with the young crocodile? In her own words, she described that experience as follows:
‘The illusion of invulnerability is typical of the colonizer’s mindset; and now that the experience of being prey on the earth’s surface has disappeared, something has also been lost that can teach us about the power and resilience of nature and the delusions of human arrogance.’In other words: do we need our vulnerability to keep the ecosystem in balance?
Speakers
Daan Roovers
Former 'thinker of the fatherland' Daan Roovers is a lecturer in public philosophy (University of Amsterdam, Erasmus University), program maker (Rode Hoed, Human Broadcasting), and author of, among other works, We are the politicians (2019), People make (2017) and A brief history of philosophyShe is a member of the Netherlands 2040 think tank. Since 2023, she has been a member of the Senate on behalf of GroenLinks-PvdA. She also conducts academic research into the development of the concept of public opinion.
