The Arne Naess Chair
Arne Naess Chair in Global Justice and the Environment
The aim of the Arne Naess Chair in Global Justice and the Environment is to invite leading international scholars to conduct research on areas and fields of research related to the broadly understood theme of global justice and the environment. The Chair is designed to promote new insights into the challenges posed by globalisation to society and the environment, and to develop ideas which would help to humanize the social transformation of our time. The Chair is to preserve the legacy of Arne Naess and his philosophical and academic achievements. The chair holders are expected to creatively engage with Arne Naess`s thought and work on theories and ideas which further the cause of peace, justice and the environment. They will be attached to SUM, which has been a scholarly base of Professor Naess for the last fifteen years.
In 2007 the Chair is being shared by Prof. James Lovelock and his close colleague and collaborator Dr. Stephan Harding. Prof. Lovelock, a world leading scientist and environmentalist, is perhaps best known as the father of Gaia-theory having published works such as The Gaia Theory, The Ages of Gaia, Homage to Gaia and, more recently, The Revenge of Gaia. Dr. Harding is a lecturer at Schumacher College and a scholar known for his work on Gaia-theory and deep ecology. Both Chair holders express intellectual indebtedness to the legacy of Arne Naess and the philosophy of deep ecology. The official launch of the Arne Naess Chair on Friday the 27th of April included James Lovelock's inaugural lecture and an international symposium involving well known scholars in the field.
Prof. Lovelock, world-leading scientist and environmentalist, has been honoured by the Arne Naess Chair for his lifelong work for the environment. He is perhaps best known as the father of Gaia-theory. The chair holder expresses intellectual kinship with the intellectual legacy of Arne Naess and his influential philosophy of deep ecology. In his recent book The Revenge of Gaia, Prof. Lovelock warns us of the threats posed by global warming and climate change. Prof. Lovelock never ceases to surprise his audience, and is known as a dynamic thinker that maintains the need for clean and safe nuclear energy as part of sustainability-plans on a global scale. SUM has chosen to honour Prof. Lovelock for his pathbreaking and longstanding research on, and commitment to, the environment and for the extraordinary intellectual vigour and originality of his ideas.
The launch of the Arne Naess Chair took place on Friday the 27th of April and included James Lovelock's inaugural lecture, with response from co-chair Stephan Harding, followed by comments from renowned scholars.
Professor Lovelock will return to SUM in October and stay one month, and Dr. Harding will return to SUM for one week in October.
For more detailed information on the work of Prof. James Lovelock, see his webpage
