Fourth Thomas Mann Lecture
On 4 November 2020, Prof. Dr Ritchie Robertson of the University of Oxford is a guest speaker at ETH Zurich for the lecture series on Thomas Mann. He will be speaking on the topic «Aufklärung und Gegenaufklärung auf dem Zauberberg» (in German).
In the novel “The Magic Mountain”, the protagonist Hans Castorp follows heated debates between the humanist Settembrini and the Jesuit Naphta. These opponents represent respectively the Enlightenment (associated with France and Italy) and the reactionary, even totalitarian Counter-Enlightenment. The lecture will explore Thomas Mann’s understanding of both concepts and, turning to the present, argue for the undiminished relevance of the Enlightenment in an age of Counter-Enlightenment populism.
This year's fourth Thomas Mann Lecture will be held virtually due to the protective measures regarding the corona pandemic.
It takes place
- on Wednesday, 4 November 2020 from 6 p.m to 7 p.m.
- external page livestream on YouTube
The Thomas Mann Lectures are organised by the Thomas Mann Archives in conjunction with the Chair of Literary and Cultural Studies at ETH Zurich.