Living in and coping with world risk society - 42nd St. Gallen Symposium
Summary
TLDRThe transcript presents a thought-provoking lecture by Professor Beck on the concept of 'world risk society,' a state of modernity where society grapples with unprecedented risks and uncertainties. He discusses the challenges of conveying the dangers of nuclear waste to future generations as an example of the broader issue of managing risks that extend beyond national borders and the control of current institutions. Beck emphasizes the ambivalence of global risks, which can lead to both negative and positive outcomes, and the need for a cosmopolitan approach to risk management that transcends national boundaries. He suggests that the current crisis of modernity is not a failure, but rather a consequence of its success, and calls for a paradigm shift in the social sciences to better understand and respond to global risks. The lecture concludes with an exploration of the potential for global risks to serve as a catalyst for new forms of statehood and international cooperation.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The concept of a 'world risk society' involves global risks that transcend national boundaries, requiring international cooperation to manage.
- ⚠️ Modern societies are characterized by the production and management of risks that are often self-created, such as those related to nuclear waste or climate change.
- 🧩 The complexity of contemporary risks means that traditional institutions and nation-states struggle to address issues that affect humanity as a whole.
- 🕵️♂️ The 'cosmopolitan moment' refers to a point in time where global risks or events make people realize the need for collective action across national borders.
- 📉 The financial crisis and climate change are examples of global risks that have the potential to destabilize the existing order and necessitate a new approach to governance.
- 🔍 The distinction between risk and catastrophe is important; risk implies the anticipation of potential future disasters, which is a key aspect of modernity.
- 🚧 The 'irony of risk' suggests that the very success of modern institutions in controlling uncertainties can lead to the creation of new, unanticipated risks.
- 🌐 Global risks have three features: delocalization, indeterminacy, and non-compensability, which challenge traditional methods of risk management.
- 🤔 The 'enlightenment function' of global risks refers to their potential to expose the limitations of current societal structures and catalyze the creation of new institutions.
- 📚 Social sciences need a 'cosmopolitan turn' to better understand and analyze the global dynamics and interdependencies of the modern world.
- 💡 The idea of 'cosmopolitan nationalism' suggests that national interests can be pursued through cooperation with other nations, reflecting a new form of global politics.
Q & A
What was the central problem the US Congress' expert Commission faced regarding American nuclear waste?
-The central problem was how to design a language or symbolism that could effectively convey warnings about the threats posed by American nuclear waste to future generations, even ten thousand years from now.
What was the composition of the expert Commission established by the US Congress?
-The Commission included a diverse group of experts such as physicists, anthropologists, linguists, NOAA scientists, psychologists, biologists, classical scholars, artists, and theologians.
What is the 'irony of risk' that the lecture discusses?
-The 'irony of risk' refers to the ambivalence of being at risk, which is a way of being and ruling in the world of modernity. It highlights that being at global risk is a human condition at the beginning of the 21st century, despite the widespread feeling of doom.
What are the three features that characterize global risks in the context of world risk society?
-The three features are delocalization (risks not limited to one geographical location), incalculability (consequences are based on hypothetical risks and scientific uncertainty), and non-compensability (once a global catastrophe occurs, it is too late and cannot be compensated for).
How does the concept of 'organized irresponsibility' relate to global risks?
-Organized irresponsibility refers to the lack of a clear agent or entity that can be held responsible for the consequences of global risks. It reflects a systemic issue where no one is accountable for the potential outcomes of large-scale risks.
What is the 'cosmopolitan moment' in the context of world risk society?
-The cosmopolitan moment is a latent revolutionary state in which the normalcy and emergency states overlap, leading to a situation where global risks break down national boundaries and create a shared global space of threat. It is a moment that can inspire conflicting responses and can be a vital step toward constructing new institutions.
Why is there a need for a paradigm shift in the social sciences according to the lecture?
-There is a need for a paradigm shift in the social sciences because the traditional nation-state frame of reference, or methodological nationalism, prevents the social sciences from fully understanding and analyzing the dynamics, ambivalences, opportunities, and ironies of world risk society.
What is the role of 'organized irresponsibility' in the context of modern society?
-Organized irresponsibility refers to a systemic issue where there is no clear responsibility for the consequences of certain actions, particularly in relation to risks and catastrophes. It is a feature of modern society where the complexity and scale of operations can lead to a diffusion of accountability.
How does the concept of 'world risk society' challenge traditional economic models?
-The concept of 'world risk society' challenges traditional economic models by highlighting the limitations of these models in addressing and anticipating large-scale, global risks. It suggests that mainstream economics has often neglected the role of uncertainty and the 'unknown' in decision-making processes.
What does the 'cosmopolitan moment' offer in terms of opportunities for society?
-The 'cosmopolitan moment' offers opportunities for society to reevaluate its priorities and structures, promoting a more inclusive and cooperative approach to global challenges. It can lead to the creation of new institutions and policies that are better equipped to handle transnational risks and uncertainties.
How does the 'world risk society' concept relate to the individual's perception of risk in their personal lives?
-The 'world risk society' concept can be related to the individual's perception of risk in personal lives by highlighting how modernity has increased both the awareness and the complexity of risks. It suggests that individuals may seek out risks in their personal lives as a way to cope with or counterbalance the perceived risks in the broader society.
What is the significance of the 'cosmopolitan turn' in the social sciences?
-The 'cosmopolitan turn' in the social sciences signifies a shift towards a more global and interconnected perspective that moves beyond the limitations of methodological nationalism. It emphasizes the importance of understanding social phenomena within a global context, recognizing the interdependence and complexity of modern society.
Outlines
🤔 The Challenge of Communicating Long-Term Risks
The first paragraph discusses the complexities of living within and coping with a world that is filled with societal risks. It uses the example of the US Congress establishing a Commission to develop a language or symbolism to warn future generations about the dangers of American nuclear waste. The Commission, comprising a diverse group of experts, faced the challenge of creating a design that could convey a message millennia from now. The paragraph highlights the irony of risk in modern society and the limitations of language when it comes to addressing the long-term consequences of our actions, particularly with the use of advanced technologies.
🌐 The Emergence of a Risk Society and its Global Implications
The second paragraph delves into the concept of a 'world risk society,' where modern societies are increasingly preoccupied with managing risks they themselves have produced. It contrasts the perception of safety in the West with the reality of manufactured uncertainties and global catastrophes. The paragraph outlines the features of global risks, including delocalization, organized irresponsibility, and non-compensability. It also touches on the shift from a reactive to a proactive approach, emphasizing the need for a paradigm shift in social sciences to address these new challenges.
🧐 The Paradox of Knowledge and Risk Management
The third paragraph explores the paradox at the heart of risk management, where the attempt to control risk can inadvertently produce new and unknown catastrophes. It discusses the concept of organized irresponsibility and the challenges of dealing with hypothetical risks that are based on scientific uncertainty. The paragraph also reflects on the economic theories of risk and uncertainty, highlighting the importance of acknowledging what we do not know and the need for a new approach to economics that incorporates this uncertainty.
🌟 The Cosmopolitan Moment and Global Risk Perception
The fourth paragraph introduces the idea of a 'cosmopolitan moment' in world risk society, where the state of normalcy and the state of emergency overlap. It discusses how global risks break down national boundaries and necessitate transnational cooperation to manage threats that are beyond the control of individual nations. The paragraph also suggests that global risks can serve as a catalyst for political action and consensus, both nationally and internationally, and can lead to the destabilization of existing orders and the creation of new institutions.
🔄 The Need for a Paradigm Shift in Social Sciences
The fifth paragraph calls for a paradigm shift in the social sciences, arguing that the traditional nation-state framework is inadequate for understanding the dynamics of a world risk society. It emphasizes the need for a cosmopolitan turn in the social sciences, which would provide new perspectives on local and national issues within a global context. The paragraph also discusses the potential for a cosmopolitan form of statehood and the importance of transnational cooperation for regaining national sovereignty in a globalized economy.
🤝 Cosmopolitan Nationalism and the Future of Global Cooperation
The sixth paragraph continues the discussion on cosmopolitanism, suggesting that nationalism must evolve to incorporate cosmopolitan principles for its own benefit. It acknowledges the tension between the descriptive and predictive aspects of the analysis and emphasizes the ambivalence of the current situation. The paragraph also addresses the role of global risks in uniting people across borders and the potential for these risks to serve as a catalyst for political action and change.
🏛️ The Historical Context of Risk and the Cosmopolitan Moment
The seventh paragraph explores the historical context of risk and the concept of the cosmopolitan moment. It distinguishes between natural catastrophes and those related to modernity, where decisions made by individuals, companies, and governments have far-reaching consequences. The paragraph discusses the anticipation of catastrophes and how this can lead to political action and a sense of global unity, as well as the potential for nationalist and xenophobic reactions to these risks.
💡 Applying the Concept of World Risk Society in Practice
The eighth paragraph addresses the question of how the concept of world risk society can be applied in practical terms. It suggests that the insurance principle, a significant innovation of modernity, could be extended to the banking and financial systems, making private insurance mandatory for these sectors. The paragraph proposes that such a change could have significant implications for managing risk and uncertainty in these areas.
🤔 Risk and the Human Condition in Modern Society
The ninth and final paragraph invites further questions from the audience, indicating an open discussion on the topic. It reflects on the human condition in the 21st century, where being at risk is a way of life and global risk is a shared human condition. The paragraph concludes with an acknowledgment of the complexity and ongoing nature of the dialogue on world risk society.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Risk Society
💡Cosmopolitan Moment
💡Organized Irresponsibility
💡Anticipation of Catastrophe
💡Modernity
💡Global Risk
💡Methodological Nationalism
💡Cosmopolitan Nationalism
💡Manufactured Uncertainties
💡Transnational Cooperation
💡Reflexive Modernization
Highlights
Living in a world risk society means coping with uncertainties and potential catastrophes that are a product of modernity.
The US Congress established an expert Commission to develop a long-term warning system for nuclear waste, highlighting the challenge of communicating with future generations.
The Commission's interdisciplinary approach included experts from various fields, emphasizing the complexity of addressing long-term global risks.
Modern societies are increasingly preoccupied with managing risks they themselves have produced, which may lead to global catastrophes.
The concept of 'world risk society' involves risks that are delocalized, hypothetical, and non-compensable, challenging traditional risk management strategies.
The 'cosmopolitan moment' refers to a situation where global risks break down national boundaries and necessitate international cooperation.
Global risks can act as a catalyst for change, potentially leading to new forms of governance and international collaboration.
The current global situation is ambivalent, with both negative and positive potentials, and it is unclear which direction the future will take.
The 'cosmopolitan moment' can be seen in events like climate change discussions and 9/11, where there is a collective realization of shared global threats.
The concept of 'organized irresponsibility' reflects the lack of accountability in systems that produce global risks.
The need for a paradigm shift in social sciences is emphasized, moving away from methodological nationalism to a more cosmopolitan perspective.
The 'world risk society' theory suggests that the traditional nation-state model is inadequate for addressing modern global challenges.
The idea of 'cosmopolitan nationalism' or 'national cosmopolitanism' is introduced, suggesting a blend of national interests with global cooperation.
The lecture suggests that the insurance principle, a successful invention of modernity, could be adapted to manage financial risks, similar to how it is used in the automotive industry.
The anticipation of catastrophes can induce political action and mobilize people across borders, leading to a more cosmopolitan form of statehood.
The sociological perspective on risk focuses on the structural changes and transformations in society induced by the production of manufactured uncertainties.
The lecture concludes with a call for a cosmopolitan turn in social sciences, emphasizing interconnectedness and the need for new theories to address global challenges.
Transcripts
well thank you very much for staying
here in this darkroom not attending the
nice Sun outside in my lecture I want to
ask the question what does living in and
coping with word with society mean the
best way to start is with one example a
couple of years ago the US Congress
established an expert Commission to
develop a language or symbolism capable
of warning against the threats posed by
American nuclear waste that's ten
thousand years from now the problem to
be solved was how must concept and
symbols be designed in order to convey a
message to future generations millennia
from now the Commission included
physicist anthropologist linguist NOAA
scientists psychologists biologists
classical scholars artists theologians
etc the first question it has to address
was will the United States even exist
ten thousand years from now of course
the u.s. Commission had no trouble
answering that question
USA forever however the central problem
of how to create a model of design to
start a conversation with the future
10,000 years from now prove to be
insoluble the expert looked for models
in the oldest symbols of humanity they
studied the construction of Stonehenge
and the pyramids they examined the
historical reception of who Mia and the
Bible but these reached back at most a
couple of thousand years not ten four
the anthropologist recommended the
symbol of the skull and crossbones a
historian reminded the Commission
however that the skull and the
crossbones symbolized Rhys erection for
the Artemis and the psychologist
conducted an experiment with
three-year-olds if the symbol was
affixed to a bottle they answered sleaze
coated poison but it was placed on the
wall they enthusiastically Gerald
pirates other scholars proposed paving
the ground around the waste side with
quranic metal and stone plaque which
characterized as passing all kind of
warnings but the linguists were
innumerous that they would only be
understood for 2,000 years at most the
very scientific sophistication of the
commission showed how the crisis of
modernity followed from its triumphs we
are not actually I would say in a crisis
of modernity we are suffering from the
consequences of the victory of modernity
the unwanted and unseen consequences of
the victory of modernity and here even
we have one of the indicators even
language even language fails when faced
with the task of warning future
generations against the dangers we have
introduced into the world by using high
modern technologies in this lecture I
want to investigate the irony of risk
which is ambivalence being at risk is
the way of being and ruling in the world
of modernity being at global risk is a
human condition at the beginning of the
21st century of word rest society but
against the grain of the current
widespread feeling of doom I would like
to ask what is the wrath of history
which ought which is also inherent in
word with society
the mergers with its realization or more
tightly formulated is there an
enlightenment function a cosmopolitan
moment of word rest society so what are
the opportunities of climate change and
the financial crisis and what form do
they take there is an Australia built
into foundations of European social
science thought which has never never
disappeared perhaps paradoxically this
Knost area can be overcome with a theory
of world with society my aim is the non
nostalgic new critical theory to look at
the past and the futures of modernity in
my argument I want to keep the two
contradictory views within modernity
self-destructiveness and ability to
begin a new imbalance with one another I
would like to demonstrate this Ian's
three steps drawing on empirical
research in my Munich Research Center on
reflexive modernization first old the
dangers new risk what is new about word
with society second cosmopolitan moment
what does this mean third consequences
is the need for a paradigm shift in the
social sciences old dangerous new risk
what is new about word with society
modern society has become a risk society
in the sense that it is increasingly
occupied with debating preventing and
managing risk that itself has produced
that may well be many will object but it
demonstrates why the hysteria and
politics of fear produced by the mass
media on the contrary would not someone
looking at Western society from the
outside have to acknowledge it the risks
which get us worked up a luxury risks
more than any else after all our world
is a lot safer than that say of the
war-torn regions in Africa Afghanistan
or the Middle East a modern society is
not distinguished precisely by the fact
that to a large extent they have
succeeded in bringing under control
contingencies and uncertainties with
respect to accidents violence and
thickness in crisis as - as such
observations may be they miss the most
obvious point about risk that is the key
distinction between risk and catastrophe
risk does not mean catastrophe risk
means the anticipation of catastrophe we
have to distinguish between the future
future and the present future the future
future is in principle unknown we are
always talking about the future but the
future future is in principle unknown we
are actually when we talk about the
future we anticipate the future but all
kinds of means which we have those might
be mathematical models or might be some
kinds of designed and visualizations
symbolic forms staging mediation and so
on so it is actually the anticipated
future the present future which makes us
acting and thinking and this is an
important difference it is specially
important difference at a time and I
will come to this by the way where we
anticipate it where we anticipate new
kinds of catastrophes beyond our means
of control the old palek paradigmatic
threat to security has not become
absolute since the end of the Cold War
there are still states that compete for
territory and resources and threaten
each other military militarily but the
dangers which are more clearly perceived
than at the end of the east-west
conflict are quite different
a form of right different order they
often lack clarity identifiable agents a
whole still intent or military potential
the danger is not direct intentional and
definite states which face risks and
dangers rather than enemies have it
completely involved in a completely
different logic they have actually no
need to see the world in terms of enemy
images but do need to see the world in
terms of transnational cooperation in
order to cope with the risks which they
cannot control nationally this is what
theory of word with society maintains
modern societies are shaped by new kinds
of risks and manufactured uncertainties
their foundations are shaking by global
anticipation of global catastrophes such
perceptions of global risk are
characterized by three features first
delocalization its causes and
consequences are not limited to one
geographical location or space then
principle only present and actually
there is nobody from the system who is
responsible for them there's an
organized irresponsibility in relation
to those consequences second encounter
politeness its consequences line
principle incapable at bottom it's a
matter of HIPAA hypothetical risks which
not least are based on science induced
not knowing and normative dissent so
actually I think you are talking we are
discussing this in the session before
already but this is actually part of of
the definition of word with society we
are not only confronted by by risk or
risk taking but we are confronted by the
attempts to control risk and thereby
produce even new and unknown anticipated
catastrophes for
which actually our knowledge is
incomplete or maybe in principle
incomplete as well and the third feature
is non compensability non-competitive
bility the security of dream of first
modernity based on the mastery of unsafe
consequences and dangers of decision
accidents could occur as long as and
because they were considered compensable
once a global financial system has
collapsed once climate change has
changed irrevocably revocable once
terrorist group possess weapons of mass
destruction then it is too late given
this new quality of flex to humanity the
logic of compensation breaks down and is
replaced by the principle of precaution
by prevention those are events which are
not allowed to happen we imagine them in
order that they could not happen and
therefore actually the mechanism of
learning which we sulfur actually
institutionalize in which taking and
trying to find out about how we can
manage and cope with those with don't
work anymore the discovery of in
culpability of risk is closely connected
to the discovery of the importance of
not knowing to risk calculation and it
is part of another kind of irony that
surprisingly this discovery of not
knowing occurred in a scholarly
discipline which today no longer wants
to have anything to do with it the
economics it was Frank Knight then John
Maynard Keynes who early insisted on the
distinction between predictable and non
predictable or capable and non callable
forms of contingency in a famous article
Keynes wrote 1900
37 by uncertain knowledge I quote by
uncertain knowledge let me explain I do
not mean merely to distinguish what is
known from what is merely probable the
sense in which I'm using the term is
that in which the price of copper and
the rate of interest 20 years hence all
the observance of a new invention are
uncertain about these matters there's no
scientific basis which to form any
capable probability whatsoever we simply
do not know however Keynes admonition to
open up the field of economics
decision-making to the unknown to the
non know noble of future systemic
catastrophes hidden the normalised
practices of risk-taking was neglected
in the sequent development of mainstream
economics including mainstream casian
economics the crucial point however is
not only the discovery of importance of
not knowing but that's similar that it
simultaneously the knowledge control and
security claim of state and society
where indeed had to be renewed deepened
and expanded on the other why the
expansion of not knowing on the other
wise or the other on the on the other
side on the other hand the important
principle of control and security of
state businesses and society
the irony lines and the
institutionalized security claim to have
to control something even if one does
not know whether it really exists but
why should a science or discipline
concern itself but what with what it
does not even know there is certainly a
conclusive sociological answer to this
because in the face of the production of
manufactured uncertainties society is
more than ever realize and insists on
security and control
second what is meant by a cosmopolitan
moment word with society is the latent
revolutionary society in which the state
of normalcy and the state of emergency
overlap from this one can explain the
historical power of global risk which is
neglected by economics and social odd
sociology of risk in dealing with
catastrophic risks the present of a
future state of emergency is being
negotiated the anticipation the
anticipated state of emergency is no
longer national but transnational at the
end maybe even cause for political the
believe that the risk facing humanity
can be averted by political action taken
on behalf of endangered humanity becomes
an unprecedented resource for consensus
legitimation nationally internationally
all kind of conflicts in this sense the
fundamental principles of modernity
including free-market principle the
nation-state order itself becomes
subject to change two controversies the
existence of alternatives and different
pictures of possible futures so what is
cosmopolitan about the cosmopolitan
moment global risks tear down national
boundaries and jumbled together the
native with a form the distant other is
becoming the inclusive other not from
mobility but for the perception of
catastrophe everyday life is becoming
cosmopolitan human beings must find a
meaning of life in the exchange with
others and no longer in the encounter
with like we all are trapped in a shared
global space of threat without exit this
may inspire highly conflicting responses
to which we nationalization xenophobia
also be long I actually cannot think of
any power inducing and forcing such a
global learning process in such a short
period of time be careful again not
catastrophe does this but the
anticipation of catastrophe does it
global risk is highly ambivalent
paradoxically also a moment of hope of
unbelievable opportunities a
cosmopolitan moment also some assist on
seeing an overreaction to risk mostly
this is the case global risk conflicts
global risk conflicts to indeed have an
Enlightenment function they destabilize
the existing order but can also be seen
as a vital step toward the construction
of new institutions global risk has the
power to confuse the mechanism of
organized irresponsibility and even to
open them up for political action egoism
autonomy Otto Poe is a self-isolation
in probability of translation these are
key terms for describe modern society in
sociology and in public discussions and
political debates as well
the communitive logic of global risk
must be understood on precisely the
opposite principle word which is the
unwanted unintended obligatory medium of
communication in a world of recon
sizeable difference differences in which
everyone is turning on their own axis
hence the public perception of risk
forces people to communicate who
otherwise do not want to have anything
to do with one another it imposes
obligations and costs on those who
resist them even with the law on their
side in other words large-scale risk cut
through the self-sufficiency of cultures
languages
religions and systems as much as though
the national and international agenda of
politics they overturn their priorities
and create context for action between
tempts parties quarreling nations that
know nothing about each other and reject
and oppose one another the strategies of
action which global risk open up
overthrow the order of power which has
formed in the neoliberal capital state
coalition global risk and power states
and civil society movements because
there with real new resources of
legitimation and options for action for
these groups and actors they disempower
global capital on the other end because
the consequences of economic decisions
contribute to the creating of global
risks and destabilize markets and even
the global market system altogether
conversely there is an opportunity to
bring about what I would like to call a
cosmopolitan form of statehood a state
which defines a nation-state which
defines it's not only on national terms
but on the need to cooperate with others
other states other nations in order to
solve their own national problems this
is not wishful thinking on the contrary
is an expression of a cosmopolitan VI
politic in an age of global risk a
politics of golden handcuffs the
creation of a dense network of
transnational independency is exactly
what is needed in order to regain
national sovereignty not least in
relation to highly mobile world economy
the maxims of nation based realpolitik
that national interest must necessarily
pursuit by national means must be
replaced by the maxims of cosmopolitan
way our politic inward with society
nationalism is becoming the enemy of the
nation
third and last consequences the paradigm
shift in the social sciences it is
evident that the taken-for-granted
nation-state frame of reference which I
call methodological nationalism prevents
the Social Sciences from understanding
and analyzing the dynamics and
ambivalences opportunities and ironies
of word with society methodological
nationalism is actually the fundamental
feature of the social sciences in their
thinking in their organizations in their
research method because they have been
invented and developed in the 19th
century they are pretty much using the
nation-state as a unit of research and
everything good and bad is actually
related to the nation-state it's
democracy it's a state itself it's class
conflict its family all of them are
related to the nation-state and we are
living in an interdependent even risk
producing world in which this point of
view and this methodology is actually
blinds us to reality and is a very deep
and I think important criticism which
has to picked up in order to just open
up to the reality we experience in
national context sociology and political
science are not the only disciplines
under pressure
economics is - there's a situation
vacant the theorist is thought to
succeed mr. Keynes in transnational
terms the need is now for a clever
reflexive regulation philosophy on
global scale including new actors like
transnational cooperations word bank
attack Greenpeace etc but the greatest
needs of all is a new theory of mixed
economy framed for the global
marketplace of today there's a new
defiant
Asian system was framed for the National
post-war economics we aren't we under we
under the spell of a sociology and
social sciences whose fundamental whose
foundations were conceived and developed
in the past one hundred and hundred
fifty years the first century of social
sciences over on the way into the second
which has now begun the space of
sociological imagination and research
has to be opened up and determined in
you what we need is a cosmopolitan turn
in the social sciences a cosmopolitan
sociology clearly distinguished itself
from a nationalist one because it
doesn't start out from something
abstract usually derived from a European
historical experience in context like
society world system individual etc
instead key concepts like transformation
like contingency ambivalence
interconnectedness or cosmopolitan take
center stage along with the
methodological questions posed by them
cosmopolitan social sciences therefore
opens up indispensible new perspectives
on seemingly isolated familiar local and
national context with this new
cosmopolitan vision it follows the
methodological path which other
disciplines such as contemporary art
apology geography ethnology have already
taken with enthusiasm at the end coming
back to the issue I raised at the
beginning of my lecture what is good
about something that is bad the
nationalistic egotism has to open up in
a cosmopolitan direction for its own
sake thus there is a cosmopolitan
nationalism or a national
cosmopolitanism in the making and of
course other alternative modalities are
possible thank you very much
professor thank you so much for that
absolutely a fascinating presentation I
wonder if I could take the liberty of
the first question or two if I heard you
correctly I thought there was a slight
tension between the descriptive part of
your analysis and the predictive part
the beginning and the end basically if I
heard you correctly in the beginning you
saw an ambivalent universe one with an
unprecedented level or type of risk but
very much in equipoise between negative
and positive risk or risk and
opportunity toward the end I thought you
were moving quite clearly and
passionately even toward one side of
that balance the idea that global
governance would more likely than not
win out over the current patterns
national nation-state or traditional
capital but I'm wondering is have I
notice might be you only have 20 minutes
to talk so no no no I might that might
be a correct impression of of the short
lecture I give but I think it's as I
said at the beginning we are in a very
ambivalent situation on the one hand
whisk and I'm talking well I have to say
not since 25 years about with society as
a stage of modernity in which the
institutions we have developed to cope
with uncertainty which is created by
modernity and not able to produce this
uncertainty to produce a certainty
because they are so successful they have
consequences which go beyond the
nation-state which go beyond our
imagination of all kinds of things
but there's a strong relationship if you
if you look at this between global risk
or world with society and
cosmopolitanism in the twofold sense one
sense is that actually it is more effect
that in order to cope with global risk
we have to include even the excluded
other we have to cooperate with people
and nations and cultures which we don't
know they're actually part of our inner
problem at home in private relationship
as well as in politics and businesses
and so on but this is a factual thing
and people really can protest against
this they don't like this they even I
would even say the way of we
nationalization we experience take you
up as an example is a reaction to the
situation of experience
interconnectedness of being forced to
some extent to cooperate with people
which you maybe not even like we have to
maybe not even know like the Germans and
the Greeks and some suddenly have those
problems of inequality this is a factual
thing and this factual thing has very
ambivalent consequences I would say
there's a to take to take to take German
terms there's a Hegel scenario least
definite like I said try to say it in
which actually the states and I press
this position very much the states and
and and even the people to some extent
realize that they need to cooperate
cooperate or or fail if they need to
cooperate in order to prevent failing
and this is to some extent even
experiencing clean experiences in Europe
right now but at the same time and maybe
even more powerful there is a cosmic
scenario which tries to use the
emergency which is actually part of the
risk experiences to introduce all kind
of nationalist politics and xenophobia
maybe this is a little bit too dark
white picture because those
two tendencies I said I am a mixed but I
wanted to change everybody is talking
only about the negative side I just
wanted to show that which is capable of
opening up new spaces of attraction what
about the Durkheim scenario the dark I'm
saying is just on on on ongoing
differentiation and integration and a
does I don't think it fits to this
situation because actually by as I said
by just doing more majority being more
modern making more functional
differentiation having better technology
having all kind of communication we are
producing a situation in which the
institution's we have so far invented
don't fit to the situation anymore well
let me push you just on that a little
bit how different our way from our
forebears in this relationship to risk
we feel we were unique today must be
different from the past but I mean if
you were living in in a village in
Germany in in the 16th century you could
have been overrun by an invading army
if you'd been living in a village in
France in the 14th century you could
have been wiped out by a plague in 219
when I when did this start
when did the cosmopolitan moment begin
there's a famous Philip Larkin poem that
says intercourse started in 1963 when
did the cosmopolitan moment start well
let me first answer your first question
which actually is one of the main
misunderstandings I would say in
relation to which quiz is actually
related to decision-making it's not a
natural catastrophe at least not as we
see it it's it's a matter it's related
to modernity it's where individuals and
companies and sciences and politics take
decisions and their I have to take the
consequences of their decision and now
we are living in a situation at rest I
try to point out that we are
anticipating catastrophes which we never
experienced in the past
we anticipating a breakdown in the
economic system we are anticipating a
climate change which totally changes our
living conditions we are anticipating
all this and this is actually changing
our institution basically I am not sure
what the future is going to be I am Not
sure the future future is something
which we do not know but this kind of
anticipation of catastrophe induces
political action and mobilizes people
beyond borders and on all kind of
differences and this is a cosmopolitan
moment the cosmopolitan moment is maybe
related to to climate change discussions
to 9/11 you know even in 9/11 if you
remember even the French and newspaper
the mount titled we are all Americans
you know even the French paper so I
think those are moments where we
suddenly realize we are confronted with
with potential catastrophes which unite
us to some extent or need new kind of
actions questions in the audience out
there sir could you get them thank you
hi I'm Jeremy from Australia I'm
interested in whether the cosmopolitan
moment could be applied not just to
nation-states
but also potentially to companies
whether having risk isolated in one
company is perhaps unrealistic and it
might spill out over across entire
industries which decides it's possible
to make that extrapolation of the
framework yeah that's an interesting
question I'm not specialised in those
issues but I think global companies we
actually do understand an advantage
situation as looking at their own
internal business as a former point of
view
that they need the globe to understand
what is going on internally that they
have to react to I don't know 80
different cultures and nations and have
to somehow produce this kind of of
Cosmopolitan moment actually a part of
this process and if you again I have to
excuse I'm maybe pass innate in in
trying to find a positive point of view
as well I think they experience that
relating and learning to relate to two
different cultures and different
mixtures is not an obstacle but ism is a
very productive force and it is a
necessity on the one side and it is a
very productive force for all kind of
problems you are confronted with there
is another question sir
hello my name is Martin Sylar from
Austria
professor Peck is a sociologist maybe
you could comment on a phenomenon which
I think can be perceived in our society
at one hand you know professional life
we try to assess risks we try to prevent
risks we try to mitigate risks we try to
predict risks and so on on the other
hand I think in our private lives many
people are actually looking for risks
look at for instance people like me who
are engaging in extreme sports people
riding motorcycles people investing in
the stock market is this a phenomenon
which is maybe related to the fact that
we need a certain sense of having risks
maybe because life would be too boring
without it what is the view of a
sociologist in that well I'm not quite
sure if I really got the point of your
question first of all I think indeed
with is the adventure risk is something
which is thrilling risk is about the
future which can be changed which is
dependent on on on our own action or
knowledge or or courage I think this is
actually what modernity is in principle
about taking those kind of risks but as
I try to to argue and of course there
this is still an attitude in sports in
in many ways of well getting the thrill
a lot of out of this kind of experiences
but in in relation to this source a
logical point of view first of all I
would say at least well there are many
sociologists that I'm talking about by
sociology but I would say this it's not
only my sociology we are not so much
interested in constructing models how
industries or manage
and can cope with risk I think this is
quite often admire those people who are
able to do this because my at least I
would be I would I would think that if
you are a scientist you have to know
about the uncertainties of of those
models as you don't I cannot you just
have to tell everybody those are just
mixtures of uncertainties and I don't
know how whatever
mathematics I put in there it is still
manufactured uncertainties but the
sociological point of view is mainly to
show that in relation to the
institutionalized forms of controlling
risk I give you the example of of
private insurance as one of the main
issues in relation to those
institutionalized resources or
probability calculus we are living in a
world where those principles don't
function anymore if you if you want a
definition of word with society it is a
society which acts in in the main issue
in the main issues of of modernity be on
private insurance take atomic plants as
an example they are state insured but
they're not very good state entry or
either so actually it is beyond all the
means of of control which we have so far
institutionalized and I think this is a
more structural picture which
sociologists paint trying to understand
the dynamics of legitimation and
transformation which is actually induced
by those processes in which we have
institutionalized forms of calculation
of uncertainty which for most of the
people evidently don't fit to the
problems we are producing I think we
have time for one more question or
anyone over on this side everyone okay
right behind you thank you
to the last question just wondering if
if there's a way that you could frame
the world risk society in terms of ways
that we could use it in our lives or in
our businesses once we leave this room I
didn't understand it
do you have any practical advice for the
implications of world risk Society for
as I said this is actually not the case
I'm I'm talking about I would like to
give in a practical advice I would say
why don't you know one of the basic
experiences actually which we see in
history in relation to itself produce
uncertainty by while modernity is the
insurance principle and the insurance
principle is actually a huge success
huge invention in modernity and I
wondering why nobody really talks about
introducing attunes into banking system
finance system private insurance just
not state insurance as we have it now
where suddenly the state has to get in
but introduce the prints do the same
thing as needed for a motorcar if you
want to drive a motor car without
private insurance you're going to be a
criminal
if you drive a a banking system and a
financial system without private
insurance you're going to be a criminal
if you change this would be I think one
interesting change which really could on
the one hand being very small on the
other on the other hand have huge
implications we could have a long
discussion of credit default swaps thank
you so much professor beck very
illuminating thanks for joining us in
San Galan thank
you
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