Monday 26 May 2014

Recognition Weekend with Axel Honneth

Professor Axel Honneth (University of Frankfurt / Columbia University) gave the 12th Annual Collegium Lecture at the University of Helsinki's main building on Friday the 23rd of May. In conjuction with the 2014 Collegium Lecture, a two-day Workshop on Pathologies of Recognition was organized by the research project Pathologies of Recognition (Academy of Finland), Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Study, and The School of Social Sciences and Humanities (University of Tampere).

Axel Honneth giving his Collegium Lecture


My personal research and reading focuses at the moment very much on Honneth as well as on Arto Laitinen and Heikki Ikäheimo, who have contributed to explicating and further developing the Honnethian concept(s) of recognition. Therefore, it was very nice indeed to be able to meet all three at once in Helsinki.

Arto Laitinen, Axel Honneth, and Heikki Ikäheimo


Our own CoE Reason and Religious Recognition was represented in the workshop programme by our Director Risto Saarinen, who discussed interesting cases of recognition in the pre-Hegelian sources of Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499), and John Calvin (1509-1564).

Saarinen giving his talk at the workshop


All in all, from a research point of view, the two days were highly interesting, very educating, and intellectually stimulating. They also provided a good opportunity to make new contacts with people working on themes related with recognition. Below are some more photos from "the recognition weekend".

Federica Gregoratto, who spoke on Pathologies of Love


Cillian McBride, who recently published his book on recognition


Nora Hämäläinen speaking on Emotional Capitalism
and the Epistemology of Suspicion


Axel Honneth and Sami Pihlström, who chaired the Collegium Lecture


Sari Roman-Lagerspetz with Honneth in the audience


CoE Ladies Anna-Liisa Tolonen and Maijastina Kahlos
ouside the main building after Honneth's lecture


The Honneth Reception at the Collegium Common Room



Thursday 15 May 2014

Simo Knuuttila's Farewell Lecture

On last week's Thursday, the 8th of May, Simo Knuuttila gave his farewell lecture at the Main Building of the University of Helsinki. Knuuttila's topic dealt with the origins of religion, and the lecture hall was packed full. Below are some photos from the event.


Simo Knuuttila giving his talk on the origins of religion


Flowers presented


Ismo Dunderberg chairing the event