The Interpretation of Natural Events in European and Chinese History - A Digital Dialogue
Channel: CATS - Centre for Asian and Transcultural Studies
Date: 2022-02-23

Dr. habil. Thomas Wozniak: The Interpretation of Natural Events in European and Chinese History - A Digital Dialogue:

This event is presented as part of the series - Digital Dialogues - organised by the Joint Center for Advanced Studies "Worldmaking from a Global Perspective: A Dialoge with China". Open to the public, fellows of the Joint Centre discuss their research in dialogue with one another and other invitees.

This recorded event was organised by the Heidelberg Project, "Epochal Life Worlds - Man, Nature and Technology in Narratives of Crisis and Change", based at the Centre of Asian and Transcultural Studies.

The event featured two speakers, Dr. habil. Thomas Wozniak, a scholar of medieval Europe, and Dr. Ishayu Landa, a scholar of imperial China. It was moderated by Dr. Matthias Schumann. Dr. Wozniak's portion of the talk i presented here.  

Abstract: 
Contrasting the cases of medieval Europe and imperial China, the two speakers, Dr. habil. Thomas Wozniak and Dr. Ishayahu Landa, will discuss the interpretation of natural events such as solar eclipses, ‘dragons’ or famine. They will particularly focus on the political significance of these phenomena, trying to pinpoint some of the differences and similarities between these geographically separate civilizations, which held distinct views on the relation between humanity and the larger natural forces.