NORTHERN LIGHTS – FACETS OF ENLIGHTENMENT CULTURE
A Joint Finnish-Russian Symposium at the Aleksanteri Institute,
University of Helsinki (Unioninkatu 33, 2nd floor)
September 25.—26., 2009
The Enlightenment of the 18th century was, besides its general "progressive" tendency, a multifaceted and contradictory process, and many of its aspects are yet poorly known. Especially in the Nordic countries and Russia the Enlightenment took shapes which differed considerably from the "paradigmatic" French discourse of the lumiéres or of the English 18th century thought now considered as classical. On the other side, nationalist tendencies in the historiography of both the Nordic countries and Russia have tried to play down the fact that these countries have, despite of all differences, had their share in a general European Enlightenment culture. The symposium arranged by the Aleksanteri Institute will present relevant studies of Finnish and Russian scholars on the theme and at the same time contribute to further research in the field of Nordic and Russian history of ideas. Languages of the symposium are English and French, discussion in German or Russian is of course possible, too. The symposium is open to all who are interested in the history of the Enlightenment and Russia and Nordic countries in the 18th century.
FRIDAY 25TH OF SEPTEMBER
MARKKU KIVINEN Opening Words
TATIANA ARTEMYEVA The Status of Intellectual Values in the Russian Enlightenment
OILI PULKKINEN Scottish Enlightenment between Periphery and Cosmopolitism
MIKHAIL MIKESHIN A Russian Adam Smith in French Style. An example of the transfer of ideas
JOHANNES REMY Radishchev's Ideas on the Social Impact of Consumer's
Choices
JOHAN STEN Anders Johan Lexell, a Finnish Astronomer at St.
Petersburg Academy of Sciences and His European Contacts
19.00 Dinner
SATURDAY 26TH OF SEPTEMBER
ALLA ZLATOPOLSKAYA L’autocritique des Lumières chez Rousseau et le
rousseauisme russe
CAROLA HÄNTSCH (will be announced later)
SERGEY VOLKOV The symbols of "Light", "Cresset", "Enlightenment" and "Education" in the discourse of M. Lomonosov
LARISA AGAMALIAN A Library of an Enlightened Russian Land-owner
VESA OITTINEN Between Popularphilosophie and Utilitarism -- The Peculiarity of Nordic Enlightenment
Concluding discussion.
Changes and additions yet possible. The order of the presentations is not final.
For the updated program, see the conference homepage:
http://www.helsinki.fi/aleksanteri/english/news/events/2009/0925northernlights.htm
For more information, contact Vesa Oittinen (vesa.oittinen [at] helsinki.fi)