“The Materiality of Capitalism” Open Research Seminar (Feb. 19)

On February 19, an Open Research Seminar "The Materiality of Capitalism," by Carl WENNERLIND (Professor, Barnard College, Columbia University) will be held at the University of Tokyo.

Date and time: Wednesday, 19 February 2025 16:00 - 17:30 JST

Venue: Kojima Conference Room, Second Floor, Kojima Hall (Map)

Admission: Free of charge, no registration required 

Event style: In-Person Event

Language: English *NO Japanese interpretation will be provided

Abstract:
Economists have long attributed sustainable economic growth to the formation of a particular set of institutions: property, money, and markets. In his lecture, Professor Wennerlind will invite us to consider what happens if we move beyond these institutional approaches. Taking early modern Britain and Sweden as examples, this lecture will turn our attention to humanity’s systematic conquest of nature, in particular the quest to control matter and energy. Focusing on the materiality of capitalism will open up an entirely different way of seeing both the sublime wonders and the cataclysmic destruction brought on by capitalism.