Cambridge Common

beginning tomorrow

Emails going out tonight read as follows:

This week, a special discussion at Cambridge Common:

Join us for a discussion on the nature and ethics of progress and development. Can progress be understood as anything but the war cry of colonialism and Western cultural imperialism? Is it only the harmful fantasy of deluded (not to mention racist) dead white men? Or is it the natural and/or desirable evolution of societies to a greater fulfillment of human aspirations?

Big questions require big conversations. That's why this week, all week, guest bloggers Oludamini Ogunnaike and Isaias Chaves will be sharing their thoughts and asking for yours on this huge topic. Join us and contribute to a unique dialogue outside the boundaries of the lecture hall, the IOP conference room, the common room and the community email list.

Share your wisdom, ask questions, or just read.

As I have explained in the past, I hope that Cambridge Common, with its interactivity and comfort with a little bit of chaos, can allow us to experiment with different forms of dialogue. This week is a part of that effort. Dam and Isa are both incredibly bright, and I'm sure many of you will also join them in a fascinating discussion. So, brush up on your Adam Smith or your Amartya Sen (I'm way out of my league with this topic), and come back tomorrow for the beginning of what I hope will be a fascinating week.

posted by andrew golis @ 9:50 PM