Saving Lives or Saving Stones?: The Ethics of Cultural Heritage Protection in War 2017.04.27

Non-CAS Event
Friday, April 27: 7:30 – 9:00
Hellems 267

A Public Lecture by Prof. Erich Matthes (Wellesey University)
In discussion surrounding the destruction of cultural heritage in armed conflict, one often hears two important claims in support of intervention to safeguard cultural heritage. The first is that the protection of people and the protection of heritage are two sides of the same coin. The second is that the cultural heritage of any people is part of the common heritage of all humankind. In this talk, I explore the ethical issues surrounding these claims, and question whether they ultimately provide firm foundations for arguments in favor of devoting resources to intervention on behalf of cultural heritage. 

Professor Matthes researches and teaches moral and political philosophy, environmental ethics, heritage ethics, and philosophy of art. His primary research interests concern moral and political issues surrounding cultural heritage, art, and the environment. He is particularly interested in themes that unite these areas of inquiry, such as preservation of, access to, and control over objects, practices, and places. He has published papers on historical value and irreplacability, cultural heritage and universal value, cultural appropriation in the arts, and the ethics of historic preservation. He is currently working on essays about the aesthetic experience of history and the moral/political consequences of different conceptions of heritage. More information about Professor Matthes' research can be found on his website.

This event is part of the The 2017 Morris Colloquium. For more information on the Morris Colloquium, please visit the event website here.