Jackie Danicki

That is what Christian Michel calls the “sombre title” of his next 6/20 evening, which takes place on Monday night in Marylebone Lane. (Christian’s 6/20 events were one of the inspirations for the Cincinnati Salon - whose next speaker will be announced on Monday.) Here’s the preview of the talk:

Our speaker, Adrian Le Grand, will revisit the problem explored by the Greeks, the Scholastics and the Enlightenment of whether war may be justified. “Never”, a pacifist will reply, “under any circumstances”; but a politician might hold that so long as certain rules are followed war is a regrettable though necessary resort; whereas many a general will assert that strategic imperatives are the only justification required. But what connection is there between the arguments these figures make? Are these rationales as distinct as they seem? Adrian will trace an unsettling continuity running beneath appeals to morality and strategy. Beware: Your high moral ground this Monday risks dropping a peg.

For Adrian is a formidable challenger of commonplace. He read philosophy at Lancaster University, where his interests were mainly in the areas of science and mind. 9/11 and its aftermath lead him to consider the arguments offered for and against wars. And these always tend to involve the deeper and darker issue of what value system people want to prevail in the world.

If you want all the details of where and when the talk is happening on Monday, feel free to contact me and I’ll pass everything on.

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