Public evening lecture by Professor Dr Thomas Khurana (University of Potsdam, Institute of Philosophy & Director of the Center for Post-Kantian Philosophy)

In view of the fundamental ecological crisis of the modern way of life, the lecture asks how we can politically redefine our relationship to nature. It starts from the suspicion that we have so far thought of the political in terms of paradigms that have made this impossible. This applies to the oikos/polis paradigm and the state of nature/society paradigm as well as to the paradoxical naturalisation of the political in political economy. Against this background, the lecture explores the possibilities of a new form of political ecology.

Thomas Khurana is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Post-Kantian Philosophy at the University of Potsdam. His current research projects include the crisis of autonomy, the philosophy of the Anthropocene and the critique of political ecology. His recent publications include: The Life of Freedom in Kant and Hegel (Cambridge University Press 2026) and Recognition: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives (Routledge 2025).

Moderation: Dr Giovanna Caruso