SCAS News - 25 November, 2024

Christina Garsten Participates in Roundtable on Illiberal Appropriations of Intellectual
Traditions during the CHCI-Dahlem Symposium in Berlin

Last week, Christina Garsten, Principal of the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS), parti-
cipated in the CHCI-Dahlem Symposium, held in collaboration with the Dahlem Humanities Center
at Freie Universität Berlin. The event, organized by the Consortium of Humanities Centers and
Institutes (CHCI), brought together scholars, directors of humanities centers, and members of the
CHCI International Advisory Board to address pressing intellectual and political challenges within a
European context and a broader transatlantic framework.

CHCI is a global network of over 300 humanities institutes and centers dedicated to fostering inter-
national collaboration, supporting research, and promoting the role of the humanities in addressing
global challenges. The symposium, unlike traditional conferences, focused on sustained conversations
over two days, creating space for deeper engagement on topics that are reshaping academic work and
institutions.

Christina Garsten joined Eva Geulen and Paul Fleming as presenters for the first roundtable of the day,
"The Appropriation of Intellectual Traditions by Illiberal Ideologies." Christina’s talk, titled
"Reclaiming the Capacity to Aspire," formed part of a broader discussion about how certain political
movements, such as the New Right and the Dark Enlightenment, have appropriated ideas from critical
traditions—such as those of the Frankfurt School—and repurposed them for exclusionary and anti-
democratic agendas.

The roundtable examined the responsibilities of scholars and universities in responding to these distortions
and considered whether these traditions can be reclaimed or if some ideas lose their value when misused.
Key questions included:

1) What can scholars and universities do to counteract the misuse of intellectual traditions?
2) Can these traditions be reclaimed, or do some ideas lose their value after being distorted?

The CHCI-Dahlem Symposium underscored the vital role of the humanities in addressing global challenges,
particularly in light of shifting political landscapes in Europe and the transatlantic context. Christina expressed
her gratitude for being invited to participate, highlighting the importance of the event’s deep and necessary
conversations on these pressing topics.