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\nWorkshop: Knowledge on Nature and the Nature of Knowledge
\nPlace and date: 24. and 25.09.2026\, Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys)\, Humboldt University Berlin
\nIn this workshop we want to explore how knowledge on &ldquo\;Nature&rdquo\;\, environmental destruction and related forms of resistance is produced\, is circulating and translated. We are particularly interested in contributions which focus on the material\, institutional and political context which forms knowledge.
\nThis can include quite different foci: the role of indigenous territories\, knowledge born out of environmental struggles and conflicts\, working (conditions) at European Universities\, the rise of authoritarianism and much more.
\nHow do these conditions influence the topics studied\, the translations undertaken\, the political commitments made or not made? Why is it important to ask these questions and how to study them? Ultimately: what do we have to know about knowledge production and how do we have to act on this knowledge in order to create knowledge that is apt to answer to the violence brought upon humans and non-humans?
\nThe workshop will be the first event of the research project &ldquo\;Looking across Worlds for Environmental Justice&rdquo\;\, where researchers from the Universidad Andina Simó\;n Bolí\;var in Quito\, King&rsquo\;s College London and Humboldt University of Berlin empirically research how environmental knowledge is produced and translated in different contexts in and between Ecuador and Europe.
\nIf you are interested in participating\, please send an abstract (max 350 words) of your proposed contribution to mehlhora@hu-berlin.de by 12 July 2026. Proposals can be sent in your language of choice\, the main languages of the event will be English and Spanish\, other languages will be tried to accommodate. Contributions from outside of academia are welcome. If you require financial support to participate\, please let us know when submitting your proposal. Limited funding for travel support may be available.
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260726T173849Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20261024T070000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20261024T073000 SUMMARY:Imaginative Ideas and Political Cohesion: Spinoza on the Hebrew Commonwealth UID:20260728T170835Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@fe80:0:0:0:1cd5:3aff:fe47:30db%3 TZID:Europe/Berlin LOCATION:Berlin\, Germany DESCRIPTION:Imaginative Ideas and Political Cohesion: Spinoza on the Hebrew Commonwealth
\nSpinoza is often portrayed as a philosopher committed to the supremacy of reason over imagination. In the Ethics\, imaginative ideas are described as inadequate\, partial\, and confused forms of cognition. Yet his political writings suggest a more complex relationship between imagination and human flourishing. The Theological-Political Treatise in particular indicates that imagination is not merely a source of epistemic limitation but also a condition of collective political life.
\nThis paper argues that Spinoza&rsquo\;s account of the Hebrew Commonwealth reveals a constructive political role for imaginative ideas. The cohesion of the ancient Hebrew state depended upon a network of shared narratives\, religious symbols\, collective memories\, rituals\, and beliefs that shaped the imagination of its citizens. The covenant between God and Israel\, the authority of Moses\, and the idea of divine election did not derive their political force from rational demonstration. Rather\, they operated through the imagination\, organizing affects\, sustaining loyalty\, and fostering obedience to common laws.
\nBy examining the Hebrew Commonwealth as a political order grounded in imagination\, the paper challenges interpretations that treat imaginative ideas solely as cognitive deficiencies destined to be superseded by reason. While reason remains the highest form of knowledge\, Spinoza recognizes that political communities cannot be maintained through rational insight alone. Most individuals are guided primarily by imaginative representations\, and stable institutions therefore depend upon shared images\, narratives\, and symbols capable of generating solidarity and commitment to a common political project.
\n\nThe Hebrew Commonwealth thus serves as a privileged case through which Spinoza demonstrates the enduring political significance of imagination. Far from being merely a mark of human imperfection\, imaginative ideas provide many of the symbolic and affective resources necessary for political cohesion. Spinoza&rsquo\;s analysis\, therefore\, offers a distinctive account of the relationship between imagination\, affect\, and political order\, one that remains relevant to contemporary discussions of collective identity and social integration.
ORGANIZER;CN=Oliver Toth;CN=Domenica Romagni;CN=Leonardo Moauro: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260726T173849Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20261024T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20261025T170000 SUMMARY:Spinoza and Imaginative Ideas UID:20260728T170836Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@fe80:0:0:0:1cd5:3aff:fe47:30db%3 TZID:Europe/Berlin LOCATION:Berlin\, Germany ORGANIZER;CN=Oliver Toth;CN=Domenica Romagni;CN=Leonardo Moauro: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR