Oliver Toth - Hungarian experience, German application – Spinozist reflections on power, knowledge and authority.

The way in which "the migrant horde", George Soros, Jews and Muslims, queers and people not seen as "native" are made the enemy shows a certain similarity in different countries and on different sides of the political spectrum. One might think that it is only about adopting slogans that serve to incite the disadvantaged population groups against an alleged urban elite.

In fact, however, a new approach to power, knowledge and political and scientific authority is evident. Through a conscious application of Gramsci's theory of cultural hegemony, attempts are being made to undermine the authority of any kind of politically independent expertise, whether it is academically approved or one that has arisen through social recognition. The expertise, the approval of which does not depend on the favor of politics, is perceived as a threat, since it conveys patterns of identification and enables insights that have a certain potential for resistance to political narratives.

The attempts to undermine these authorities should not be understood as mere incitement. Rather, they express the political claim to shape society, culture and language in such a way that thoughts with the potential for resistance cannot even be thought.

They also see such attempts among various political actors* in Germany, be it through resistance to the financing of public media or artistic institutions, through the polarization of opinions on supposedly controversial topics, or through the reinterpretation of political terms such as freedom, peace or "the" people. These attempts are not coincidentally similar to the Hungarian regime, but follow a strategy shaped by the Hungarian experience.

In this series of events, scientists, artists, activists and journalists who are familiar with the situation in Hungary from their own experience will speak.

They will speak with Oliver Toth, a Spinozist philosopher who deals intensively with questions of knowledge, authority and power in and with Spinoza. The aim is to gain a perspective on German political events through their reports and findings.

Each conversation is divided into three sections: In the first 30 minutes, the most important key data and central terms are presented. This is followed by a 60-minute in-depth discussion with the invited experts. After a short break, the round is opened for an open discussion with the audience.

In English and German. (Date February 7th in German only)

Dates, speakers and topics: