The 25th Hour; An Ode to Robin in a World of Wannabe Batmen
What would you share with your audience if it were your Last Lecture? That's the question we posed to philosopher Paolo Santori. His topic of choice: the danger of the new forms of leadership theories spreading in Academia and civil society. (English / SG-Certificate*)
Time: 15:00-16:15 hrs. Admission is free, no registration required.
Leadership
Have you ever been in a bookstore or airport news kiosk recently? It is full of books on leadership, specifically, on what you need to do to become a leader. Starting as a political concept, leadership today occupies all the spheres of social life. Courses on how to become a leader, how to recognize the traits of a leader, how a leader can influence a team to generate change, etc., have grown at a high and continuous rate, invading the fields of all economic and social sciences(mostly business schools), engineering, philosophy, and even theology. Not to mention its popularity in organizations, non-profit associations, churches, convents, and spiritual movements. My lecture is a warning against this dangerous tendency. Freely following a charismatic leader seems to better suit postmodern people than hierarchical structures but, in doing so, they run the risk of a more subtle and pervasive form of control.
We are now at the 25th hour, when it is already too late, but there is still given a little bit of time to change.
Paolo Santori
Paolo Santori is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Economic Ethics at Tilburg University. He teaches and conducts research in the areas of philosophy of economics, political philosophy, the history of economic thought, history of modern philosophy, and, more recently, economics & theology. Part of his current research critically explores some catch-all concepts of Western capitalistic rhetoric, such as meritocracy, leadership, and incentives.
Last Lecture
A 'last lecture' is a lecture in which a professor lectures to a group of students as if it was their last lecture. The professor answers questions like 'What would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance? or 'If this were your last time to address a group of students, what would you say?
The event is inspired by the last lecture given by Professor Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon University upon his diagnosis with terminal cancer. In his wonderful speech ‘Achieving Your Childhood Dreams’ Pausch alternated between insights on his academic field, valuable encounters he made in life, personal choices and experiences, inspirational life lessons, and important events that guided him on his path of life.
Contact
This program is organized by Studium Generale in corporation with student association Extra Muros.
Contact: Annelieke Koster (Studium Generale).
* For students, this lecture may count towards the SG-Certificate. Check the SG-Certificate website for all the terms and conditions.
