Today we observe that a more self-confident anti-liberalism arises against the ideal of liberal democracy. The dominance
and arrogance of the North, as well as the excesses of freedom in Northern societies are used by regimes and terrorists
alike as arguments for a forced implementation and maintenance of anti-liberal systems and identities. The rhetoric of
these anti-liberal efforts seems always to be clad in biological and organic metaphors.
Taking his departure in the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas Dr. Rolfsen will in his lecture argue that the alternatives
between liberalism and organic communitarianism – between weightless freedom and consanguinity – are not coincidental.
In order to shape a third alternative to these approaches, we need to explore the concept of transcendence anew. In this
way, religion again becomes relevant to the fundamental challenges that we face. And perhaps our understanding of religion
also will have to change when facing these essential challenges.