Philosophy & Climate

Abstract

Informed by the ideas of French philosopher Michel Serres, this webinar will trace the fault lines that have led to our current ecological crisis. How did we arrive at this point, and what futures may lie beyond this time of crisis? We will examine various ways in which ‘nature’ has been conceptualized over time, starting with ancient Greek thought, moving through modernity’s scientific and ‘objective’ perspectives, and reaching our present moment, where much of the natural world has been become a resource for extraction and manipulation. In envisioning future trajectories, we will also consider the role of socio-political structures, as well as the roles of emotions (such as eco-grief) and cognition.         

Bio

Marjolein Oele is Professor of Philosophy of the Humanities at Radboud University. Her research intertwines Ancient Philosophy, Continental Philosophy, and Environmental Philosophy. She is the author of Beyond Elemental Loss: Shifting Constellations of Water, Fire, Air, and Earth (SUNY, 2025) and E-Co-Affectivity: Exploring Pathos at Life's Material Interfaces (SUNY, 2020); she is also the co-editor of Ontologies of Nature: Continental Perspectives and Environmental Reorientations (Springer, 2017). Her articles have been published in a range of journals, including Ancient Philosophy, Configurations, Environmental Philosophy, Epochê, Radical Philosophy Review, and Research in Phenomenology. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Environmental Philosophy.

This webinar is one of several initiatives carried out by GrACE – Green Europe: Active Citizenship and the Environment, an international teacher training programme led by the University of Trento. It aims to provide educators with comprehensive knowledge of environmental issues and the EU’s strategies for tackling the climate crisis, along with innovative methods for teaching about green issues.