Tuuli's Studia Generalia: September 2010

September 23, 2010

David Ost

The Meandering Meanings of Civil Society:

An Idea from Eastern Europe Triggered Democratic Revitalization in the West,
But Has it Become Irrelevant Today

David Ost, professor of political science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (USA) and professor of Sociology at the Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities, in Poland.

The lecture discussed the revived concept of “civil society” that was a gift provided by the eastern European anti-communist opposition to democratic theory and practice. It offered a way of thinking about politics based on political participation rather than consumption, positive engagement rather than revolutionary rejection. After communism, the idea entered the mainstream, and underwent a transformation into a concept of the voluntary sector, to the applause of some and the condemnation of others. Does the concept carry any clout today?

Studia Generalia

Studia Generalia on Tallinna Ülikooli avalike loengute sari, mis pakub võimaluse saada osa ülikooli õppejõudude ja välisülikoolide lektorite uurimustest.

Riigiteaduse õpingutega seoses vajasin

1) üldisemat arusaama tänasest teaduslikku mõtte arengust

2) kohtumised kohalike ja kaugemate mõtlejatega erinevatel teemadel, mis arendavad kas minu kitsamat teemat või üldist maailmanägemist, sest ükski distsipliin ei saa olla asi iseeneses

3) akadeemiline hariduse saamine eeldab ka kohtumist isiksustega, kes mõjutavad muidugi mitte ainult mind vaid ka neid ümbritseva mõtte arengut ja trende.
Kuna laiema kandepinnaga doktorikoolid on piiratud oma kuulajaskonnas ja mul ei õnnestunud juhendaja heakskiitu neis osalemisele saada, oli SG väljund, mis mahendas suletuse tunnet ja andis võimaluse vähemalt kuulata

In English

Studia Generalia

In the history of European universities, the earlier prestigious universities licensed by the Holy Roman Empire based their programs of study on an eclectic menu that involved students covering several branches of learning, mostly in the humanities.
As knowledge became more specialized and disciplines began to operate more within strict boundaries this tradition was eroded and eventually disappeared.
Our understanding of knowledge has shifted, and the growth of interdisciplinarity might suggest to some at least that a reconsideration of the case for General Studies (in any university) would make sense.

The argument might be that we often force students to specialize before they are ready to make the choice and before they are properly educated in what one might call general knowledge.
It may be that the time is right for us to have another look at General Studies.