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Professor Caroline Schaumann of Emory University 
on
"Alexander von Humboldt and the Anthropocene Challenge"
Friday, February 26, 2021 
2- 3:30 p.m. 
via zoom 

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was one of the most important scientific and humanist thinkers of the nineteenth century, with foresights that resonate in many current environmental debates. Rather than describing the physical world around him as static, Humboldt focused on processes and interrelations, studying both the distribution of matter and organisms and their interactions, and looking for bridges and connections that have by now become a defining centerpiece of any ecological inquiry.

In her lecture (in English), Prof. Schaumann will address A. v. Humboldt’s work and its relevance in our geological epoch, the Anthropocene, when the concept of “nature” itself has become increasingly tenuous. In an age of climate change, we depend on Humboldtian thinking for 1) its emphasis on the intersectionality of environmental and social concerns, 2) its systems approach in which human activity is part and parcel of an ecosystem, and 3) its acceptance of dynamic change and uncertainty rather than stasis. 

Please register here through eventbrite.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alexander-von-humboldt-and-the-anthropocene-challenge-tickets-138694209113
The confirmation mail will include the zoom link. 

I look forward to welcoming you virtually on February 26 to what promises to be a dynamic and thought-provoking event. There will be ample time for questions and comments after the lecture. 

Astrid Weigert
President
American Goethe Society of DC
Teaching Professor
Department of German
Georgetown University
Washington, DC 20057
weigerta@georgetown.edu