idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Are today’s “red lines” still institutional boundaries – or have they become moral performances of exposure and outrage? This lecture offers a new reading of contemporary polarization. Rather than locating its origins solely in the radical right, it argues that liberal institutions of judgment have been undermining themselves from within. It traces how neoliberalism has eroded these institutions, reshaping how truth is produced and politically mobilised. As institutional mediation weakens, truth increasingly appears not as something to be adjudicated through established procedures, but as something to be exposed – through testimony, conscience, and quasi-theological forms of revelation across the political spectrum. Focusing on whistleblowing, the lecture shows how liberal institutions tend to treat truth-telling as a liability rather than as a public good grounded in accountability. This shift signals a broader transformation in the status of truth: from an object of institutional judgment to a moralised practice of disclosure.
At stake is not only how truth is produced, but the very legitimacy and future of liberalism.
Speaker
Dorit Geva, University of Vienna
Moderation
Mona Leinung, KWI
Information on participating / attending:
Participation
This is a public event and participation is free of charge. There is no registration necessary.
Organizers
Organized by the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities (KWI) as part of the annual theme 2026/27 „Red Lines“.
Date:
04/22/2026 18:30 - 04/22/2026
Event venue:
Gartensaal, Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen (KWI), Goethestraße 31
45128 Essen
Nordrhein-Westfalen
Germany
Target group:
Scientists and scholars, Students
Email address:
Relevance:
transregional, national
Subject areas:
Cultural sciences, History / archaeology, Media and communication sciences, Politics, Social studies
Types of events:
Presentation / colloquium / lecture
Entry:
03/20/2026
Sender/author:
Anna Abbenhaus
Department:
Pressestelle
Event is free:
yes
Language of the text:
English
URL of this event: http://idw-online.de/en/event81226
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