Arne Næss Symposium 2018 - Homo Futurus: Environmental, Religious and Technological Perspectives

The Arne Næss Programme on Global Justice and the Environment at the University of Oslo, draws on the legacy of Norway’s foremost eco-philosopher, Ghandi scholar and environmental activist. The Programme’s overall aim is to bring together young researchers, leading international thinkers, and practitioners from diverse fields to stimulate novel solutions to socio-environmental challenges of our time. The Programme has four main components: 1) The Arne Naess Chair, awarded each year to one or several scholars of international standing who have made a significant contribution to the study of global justice and the environment; 2) The annual Arne Naess Symposium, bringing together philosophers, politicians, natural scientists, economists, “cultural creatives” and civil society. The symposium is broadcast on public television (NRK2); 3) Three Arne Naess Student Stipends, awarded each year to outstanding young scholars; 4) The course in environmental humanities, based on a critical exploration of ecological thought and action. The theme of the 2018 Arne Næss Symposium is: How do we imagine the future of human species and human environment? The symposium is an excercise in dystopian and utopian scenarios which illuminate environmental, spiritual and technological visions of human future. Invited guests apart from the Arne Næss Professor, Environmental Scholar Mary Evelyn Tucker (Yale University), include scholars, writers, politicians and representatives of business and industry.