The idea of the "Greek Miracle" is appropriately problematic. It identifies an achievement of a particular human group and ascribes to it a universal value – which is potentially racist. Were the Greeks exceptional? And, if so, what follows? Conservative humanists still champion the cause of the Greek miracle – by claiming that there are abiding values embedded in the Greek legacy. The claim of this lecture is that this gets the historical reality upside down. The Greeks did start a significant and, I would argue, positive historical process – by failing to develop abiding values. Hence, the Greek legacy opened up an arena for an autonomous, conflict-based culture – which gives rise to both Science, as well as civil society. Even so: one should be clear that the Greeks precipitated this process but are no longer relevant to its future trajectory. We are post-miracle.
Im Anschluss an den Vortrag und die Diskussion laden wir zu einem Umtrunk ein und bitten um Anmeldung bis zum 26. Juni unter: sekretariat@berliner-antike-kolleg.org.
Eine Veranstaltung des Zentrums Grundlagenforschung Alte Welt der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Kooperation mit dem Berliner Antike-Kolleg.