The Compost Collective warmly invites you to this lecture by Pablo Fernandez Velasco.

When: Wednesday, 27/11, 17h30 - 19h00​

Location: S.R.201 (Rodestraat 14, second floor, see campus map)

Abstract: In the current context of widespread environmental collapse, ecological grief—the sense of loss that arises from experiencing environmental destruction—has become a burgeoning topic of inquiry across psychology, geography, and anthropology. The central challenge in the study of ecological grief is that its theoretical foundations remain underdeveloped. Recent discussions in philosophy of emotions elucidate that a central element in this theoretical challenge is determining what the object of ecological grief is. In turn, our understanding of the object of ecological grief goes hand in hand with our understanding of the nature of ecological grief. This paper develops a phenomenological analysis of cross-cultural subjective reports that identifies crucial themes in the experience of ecological grief. This phenomenological analysis reveals the object of ecological grief as the loss of the life possibilities that are sustained by dwelling. The resulting view is that ecological grief corresponds to a crisis in dwelling—a disturbance in the very way we inhabit our home environment.

About the speaker: Pablo Fernandez Velasco is a British Academy postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Philosophy of the University of York, and an affiliated member of the Spiers Lab at the Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience of University College London. He works on philosophy of mind and cognitive science, and a big aspect of his research lies in interdisciplinary collaboration. He sees philosophy both as a way of advancing interdisciplinary work through the development of solid theoretical foundations, and as a way of connecting scientific advances to pressing social issues. You can read more about him on his personal website.

More information: We look forward to seeing you at this lecture! If you have any questions for us, please contact Kristien Hens at kristien.hens[at]uantwerpen.be