Keynote Lecture: Can Civil Peace Extend beyond the Nation State? Europe, NATO, and the U.S. in the Shadow of the Russia-Ukraine War - Jeffrey C. Alexander
30.06.2025, 6 p.m. - 8p.m. | Jeffrey C. Alexander, Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Yale University, founder of cultural sociology and leading theorist of the civil sphere, will give a public lecture at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). His lecture, titled ‘Can Civil Peace Extend beyond the Nation State? Europe, NATO, and the U.S. in the Shadow of the Russia-Ukraine War,’ will take place in the Logensaal (Logenstraße 11, 15230 Frankfurt (Oder)) and will be followed by a Q&A session and reception. Join us at the Viadrina for this special occasion!
The civil sphere, as a ‘pacific’ project, aims – and often succeeds – in suppressing political violence within the boundaries of national societies. But can this logic of solidarity and shared aspiration extend beyond the nation-state? In a world shaped by global risks and a need for strategic cooperation, is the emergence of a global civil sphere possible?
This keynote lecture by Jeffrey C. Alexander, founder of cultural sociology and leading civil sphere theorist at Yale University, explores the idea of the global civil sphere by analysing historical and contemporary efforts to institutionalise civil peace on a transnational level. It examines the limited successes of the League of Nations and the United Nations, and contrasts them with the comparatively more effective institutions of NATO and the European Union – all of which were founded not only on geopolitical necessity but also on shared cultural trauma and collective aspirations forged in the aftermath of the world wars.
Nearly eighty years after the Second World War, Jeffrey C. Alexander examines how the fading memory of the war challenges the foundations of civil commitment and mutual understanding in Europe. In this context, the lecture turns to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and its far-reaching consequences for Europe, NATO, and transatlantic solidarity. It also addresses the destabilising influence of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose actions represent a retreat from the ideals of the civil sphere. Through this analysis, the lecture offers a timely reflection on the possibilities and limits of extending civil peace beyond the nation-state in today’s geopolitical landscape. The lecture will take place in the Senaatssaal HG 109 (Große Scharrnstraße 59) and will be followed by a Q&A session and reception. Join us at the Viadrina for this special occasion!
The keynote lecture is part of the conference, ‘The Civil Sphere in Central and Eastern Europe’ (30 June – 1 July 2025).
Full programme & Information: https://www.kiu.europa-uni.de/en/kiu-news-events/events-kiu/upcoming-events/2025/20250630-conference/index.html
Location: Senatssaal HG 109, European University Viadrina, Große Scharrnstraße 59, 15230 Frankfurt (Oder)
Date: 30.06.2025
Language: English
Contact: civilsphere@europa-uni.de
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