19 March
- Speaker: Dr Bianka Speidl, University of Exeter
- Title: Shi'ite Environmental Ethics in a Globalising World: Man and Nature in M.H. Tabatabai's 'Ethics of Moderation'
- Location: 1 West North 2.04
- Time: 1.15pm - 2.05pm
The relationship between ecology and religion has become an increasingly significant topic in religious studies, in addition, environmental studies and climate change study have recently started to look at religions as a resource for addressing environmental challenges. The reflective assessment of environmental deterioration as a moral issue primarily resulting from human action, as well as specific concern with human attitude toward nature are new developments in the Islamic intellectual landscape as reflected in the Islamic Declaration on Climate Change. Similarly to other monotheistic religions, Islam considers creation as the act of God and human responsibility in its preservation as pivotal.
The presentation examines how humanity interacts with the natural world and environment in the ethical thought of Muhammad Hussayn Tabatabai (1905-1981), one of the most influential Shiite scholars of the 20th century. In his ethical theory – as elaborated in his monumental Qur’an commentary (Tafsir al-Mizan published in 20 volumes) humankind and nature share a common divine telos and manifest consciousness. In Tabatabai’s thought revelation calls for moderation in human’s use of nature in the same way as it is a demand in their social affairs. Contemporary Iranian writers on the environment and animal rights frequently cite Tabatabai. Furthermore, since justice is a theologically charged concept in Shiite Islam, environmental justice is a catchword of growing importance in the emerging environmental thought in modern Shiism.
26 March
- Speaker: Sean Garrett, University of Bath
- Title: The Emergence of Roles in British Foreign Policy: How the UK Interprets Russian Disinformation
- Location: 1 West North 2.04
- Time: 1.15pm - 2.05pm
Disinformation is closely associated with threats from Russia in British foreign policy (FP). However, the importance of disinformation has changed in the British narration of Russian threats, from a problem exclusive to Russia’s neighbours to a direct challenge for British democracy. Sean Garrett's research uses role theory and an interpretive narrative methodology to show how Russian disinformation has emerged within elements of British FP towards Russia. By focusing on two salient moments, the 2018 Salisbury Poisonings and the 2020 Russia Report, three important findings develop. First, disinformation shapes FP by altering how actors conceptualise their own and others’ FP roles. Second, disinformation is important for the UK as it centres and adapts existing British FP roles, such as that of faithful ally and defender of liberal values. Finally, the concept of role emergence captures how FP roles are shaped by narrow social contexts such as Russian disinformation.