As part of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the University of Padua, the University of Padua hosts at the Auditorium of the Botanical Garden, the Freedom Lecture by Amitav Ghosh, journalist, anthropologist and award-winning writer.

Ghosh, who is one of the major protagonists of contemporary Indian literature, speaks about “Can the non-human speak? Other Beings in Myth, Literature and Ethnography”.

On the face of it, the question ‘Can the non-human speak?’ is an absurdity. Yet it is one of the essential questions of our era of accelerating man-made climate change. At this moment in time, when we look back on the history that has brought us to the point of a planetary catastrophe, we cannot but recognize that our plight is in large part a consequence of the ways in which certain classes of humans have actively muted all other beings by representing them as brutes; that is to say, creatures whose presence on earth is solely material. This lecture looks at some of the ways in which non-human consciousness figures in various narrative traditions.

The event is organized in collaboration with the Salone internazionale del libro, and it is part of the celebratory days of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary.

Registration is required for participation.

The event is also streamed online on Youtube.

Main sponsor

Partner istituzionali