Event

Barcelona Debate 2012 - Virtues

Paradoxically, the prosperity and well-being of the past have not contributed towards reinforcing human life in common but, rather, have undermined the foundations of society, exacerbating the disrepute of politics, the tendency towards individualism and disdain for any project of attempting to find a sustainable balance between present and future. In these circumstances, it would seem more necessary than ever to reflect again on the classical democratic virtues and, accordingly, on shared happiness and common wealth. Now, when it appears that all that is solid melts into air, there remains the question of what kind of world we should like to inhabit and what virtues should be the organising principles of life in common. Might we even think that the economic crisis is, in good measure, the result of a major failure in ethics? Is it possible to reach agreement over a “minima moralia” that would be the heritage of everyone? How might we actively exercise our citizenship? What values and what qualities should define civic virtues?

Monday 16 January, at 7.30 p.m.

«MODERATION»
Tzvetan Todorov, historian and essayist, honorary research director at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of Paris. Presented by Joan Tarrida, publisher

Monday 23 January, at 7.30 p.m.

«STRENGTH»
Joanna Bourke, Professor of History in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at Birkbeck College, University of London. Presented by Antonio Monegal, Professor of Literary Theory and Comparative Literature at the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona.

Monday 30 January, at 7.30 p.m. 

«DIGNITAT»
Claudio Lomnitz, Campbell Family Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University, New York. Presented by Judit Carrera, head of the Centre for Documentation and Debate at the CCCB.

Monday 6 February, at 7.30 p.m.

«PATIENCE»
Salvador Cardús, tenured lecturer in Sociology and Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Presented by Gregorio Luri, philosopher.

Monday 13 February, at 7.30 p.m.     DATE CHANGE

«JUSTICE»
Nancy Fraser, Henry A. and Louise Loeb Professor of Political and Social Science at The New School for Social Research, New York. Presented by Josep Joan Moreso, Professor of Philosophy of Law and Vice-Chancellor of the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona.

Monday 20 February, at 7.30 p.m.

«HONESTY»
António Lobo Antunes and Juan Marsé, writers. Presented by Emili Manzano, journalist.

Monday 27 February, at 7.30 p.m.

«COURAGE»
Jacqueline Bhabha, Jeremiah Smith, Jr. Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, Director of Research at Harvard’s Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University. Presented by Pere Fabra, lecturer in Philosophy of Law and deputy vice-chancellor of the Open University of Catalonia.

Monday 5 March, at 7.30 p.m.

«SELF-ESTEEM»
Josep M. Ruiz Simón, lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Girona and columnist for La Vanguardia. Presented by Jaume Casals, Professor of Philosophy of Law in the Humanities Department at the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona.

Monday 12 March, at 7.30 p.m.

«WISDOM»
Jaume Pòrtulas, Professor of Greek Philology at the University of Barcelona. Presented by Jordi Llovet, Professor of Literary Theory and Comparative Literature at the University of Barcelona.