Guest Lecture | Prof. Guido Sprenger (University of Heidelberg): "Animism in Southeast Asia - New Debates"

As a part of the debate on the relationship between society and Nature, between humans and non-humans, the classical concept of Animism has attained a new relevance. Previously, the relationship between humans and animals was at the fore, particularly based on research from the Amazon and Siberia. The region of Southeast Asia, however, which played a crucial role in classical research related to Animism, has been sidelined in this discussion. In this particular case, it is mostly disembodied ghosts, particularly those of ancestors and territories, which are the source of the native cosmos.

This lecture will elaborate on the three dimensions that can analytically capture the diversity in Southeast Asian Animism: Exchange, Visibility and Hierarchy.

The lecture will be held on Wednesday, December 11 at HS1, Alte Uni from 12 am to 2 pm. The lecture will be held in German.