Jan
The Sociology and Social Anthropology Seminar Series presents: Carl Cassegård

Permanent Catastrophe and the Critical Theory of Nature
Carl Cassegård, Professor, Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg
One of the most intriguing notions developed by Walter Benjamin and Theodor W. Adorno is that of permanent catastrophe. Reconstructing the meaning of this concept from their writings, this paper will firstly demonstrate its centrality for a critical theory of nature, understood as an approach criticizing the reified forms regulating capitalist society’s interaction with nature. Secondly, I will probe the fruitfulness of the concept for contemporary catastrophic times.
Accepting the notion of permanent catastrophe, I argue, entails two consequences. Firstly, instead of merely warning about future disasters that can still be averted, as in conventional environmental apocalypticism, we must recognize that the catastrophes are already here, especially for the most vulnerable people and species. Secondly, the fact that permanent catastrophe cannot be fit into the idea of an idealistic philosophy of history also means that there is no fatalism to it. It tears away confidence in history and prepares us for the worst, but it is open, precisely because it is materialistic.
The Seminar Series
The Sociology and Social Anthropology Seminar Series (Allmänna seminariet) invites international and national researchers to present and discuss on-going research. Each presenter talks for about an hour, followed by about an hour's discussion.
Find more research seminars in this series at soc.lu.se/en/research.
All are welcome including students!
About the event
Location:
The Department of Sociology, Gamla lungkliniken (House G), Room G125
Contact:
annika [dot] elwert [at] soc [dot] lu [dot] se