Lecture
Against Symbolic Liberalism: Space for Dialogue in a Chilling Climate of Polarization
- Date
- Tuesday 3 November 2026
- Time
- Address
-
Herta Mohr
Witte Singel 27A
2311 BG Leiden - Room
- 0.20
Abstract
While at universities social sciences and humanities scholars continue to promote liberal and progressive ideas, how can we explain the persistent shift of many voters toward the right? How do we account for the paradox that, at a time when our language has arguably never been more inclusive and less discriminatory, our cities remain deeply segregated? In his recent book Against Symbolic Liberalism: A Plea for Dialogical Sociology, he seeks to answer these questions by examining how liberals themselves have, in certain respects, distorted the principles of liberalism.
One of the central arguments is that responsibility for the current climate of polarization cannot be attributed solely to the rise of populism. Particular attention will be paid to problematizing the debate on academic freedom in relation to Palestine/Israel, including the possibilities and limits of dialogue amid what some human rights organizations have characterized as genocide.
About the speaker
Sari Hanafi is a Fellow at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) and Professor of Sociology at the American University of Beirut. He is the former president of the International Sociological Association (ISA).