Discourses about Environment and Nature in the Hebrew Bible (Lecture by Prof. Thomas RÖMER)
イベント予定講演会/LectureThursday, 22 May, 13:00–14:30 JST
This lecture will argue that the Hebrew Bible contains different views on nature and the environment, especially in relation to the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and its capital Jerusalem in 587 BCE. This event triggered different discourses of crisis management that will be analyzed with the help of a German sociologist Armin Steil who distinguishes three attitudes toward crisis also found in the Hebrew Bible: 1) The prophetic attitude: belief that crisis will lead to a new creation with harmony between humans, nature, and animals; 2) The mandarin attitude: view of disasters as divine punishment without much interest in the environment; and 3) The priestly attitude: construction of a mythic past that offers rituals for the present with interest in the place of humans in their environment. The last discourse offers an important reflection about a possible harmony between all beings.
China: Autocracy 2.0 (Lecture by Prof. David YANG)
イベント予定Wednesday, 4th June, 15:00-16:30 JST
Modern China exemplifies Autocracy 2.0: economically strong, tech-savvy, and globally connected, using sophisticated control methods. What defines China’s political economy, and what drives Autocracy 2.0? What is its future direction? I examine autocracies’ two key challenges: incentives and information. While Autocracy 1.0 relied on fear and coercion, Autocracy 2.0 uses economic incentives to align interests with regime survival, fostering support. It employs advanced bureaucratic structures and technology to manage incentives and information, enabling success in a high-information environment. Finally, I explore Autocracy 3.0’s potential. In China, forces might revert to Autocracy 1.0, using technology for state control as growth slows but aspirations stay high. Globally, modern autocracies, led by China, are becoming major geopolitical forces, challenging the liberal democratic order.
