Byker Chair Guest Lecture

---

The humanities, considered by many as irrelevant for modern careers and hopelessly devoid of funding, seem to be in a perpetual state of crisis, at the mercy of modernizing and technological forces that are driving universities towards academic pursuits that pull in grant money and direct students to lucrative careers. But as Chad Wellmon shows, this crisis isn’t new—in fact, it’s as old as the humanities themselves. In this talk, he will explore the very idea of the humanities as a way to find meaning and coherence in the world. 

Chad Wellmon is Professor of German Studies, with appointments in History and Media Studies, at the University of Virginia, where he teaches and writes about the history of knowledge and information, the history of technology and universities, and media and social theory. He has written or edited books on the history of anthropology, the modern research university, the history of reading and print, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Max Weber. His latest book, Permanent Crisis: The Humanities in a Disenchanted Age, was published last fall. He is currently finishing a book titled After the University.

View Today

Event quick search