University Symposium 2010-12
Abundance & Scarcity
The Institute for Advanced Study has initiated discussion of the new theme, “Abundance and Scarcity,” for the 2010-12 University Symposium. This topic, initially motivated by the financial crisis that emerged in 2008, leads us to pose questions that will have deep and ongoing interest. The University Symposium framework will allow us to explore issues of scarcity and abundance in a number of realms and dimensions, taking a long-term and multi-disciplinary view.
We anticipate that discussion will focus on four main areas: 1) Human responses to abundance and scarcity, 2) Food and water, 3) Energy and environment, and 4) Choices and balances: What is “enough?” What does sustainability mean? A number of thematic threads will run throughout the symposium. Such threads might include (but are not limited to) questions such as:
- How do cultural, political, and geographical differences have an impact on abundance and scarcity?
- How have decisions about resource allocation been conceptualized by various societies in ethical, philosophical, and moral terms?
- How do we conceptualize abundance and scarcity as global problems?
- How have artists responded/are artists responding to conditions of scarcity and abundance?
- What are the tools we use to measure abundance and scarcity?
- What does history have to teach us about the present moment?
- What are various concepts of sustainability, and how do they relate to notions of scarcity and abundance?
A planning group will convene in fall 2009 to refine topics, suggest speakers and events, and discuss how their own work relates to the proposed themes. Meetings will take place at 12 p.m. (noon) in 125 Nolte Center on September 22, October 27, and December 8. Funding opportunities will be announced in fall 2009 for faculty seminars and research and creative projects to be carried out during 2010-11 and 2011-12. If you would like to be on the IAS Abundance and Scarcity email list, please send an email to Jeff Hartman: hartm152@umn.edu. If you have questions, please contact Ann Waltner: waltn001@umn.edu.
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