OxTalks will soon move to the new Halo platform and will become 'Oxford Events.' There will be a need for an OxTalks freeze. This was previously planned for Friday 14th November – a new date will be shared as soon as it is available (full details will be available on the Staff Gateway).
In the meantime, the OxTalks site will remain active and events will continue to be published.
If staff have any questions about the Oxford Events launch, please contact halo@digital.ox.ac.uk
What do we mean when we characterise certain events, such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, or the spreading of a new mutation of COVID as necessary or inevitable? Conversely, what do we mean when judging these to be contingent, supposing they could have turned out differently (if only …)? These familiar notions sound beguilingly unproblematic; indeed, they pervade common thinking about determinism and chance. Yet, perusing their place in history, literature, the evolution of life, and the present climate crisis, this talk sheds new light on the concepts of historical contingency and necessity, and explores some of their moral implications.
The presentation will be followed by discussion and drinks.
The event is free and open to all.
