LU konference
During the opening of the conference, Latvia's ex-president and Patron of the Berlin 100 years' fund, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, described Sir Isaiah Berlin as "one of the great thinkers, who was born in Riga and who experienced much in his life, including deeply tragic events." She admitted that, to a certain extent, she felt an emotional connection to the philosopher as both of them had had to leave Latvia as children. She went on to say, however, that the auditorium and the conference bore witness to a certain connection and interaction between great thinkers and places.
In his turn, the rector of the university, Professor Mārcis Auziņš, in welcoming the conference participants hailed Isaiah Berlin as one of Latvia's great sons.
"Before Charles Snow gave a lecture in May 1959 on "Two Cultures", in which he looked at the relationships between art and science, Isaiah Berlin had already analysed this theme in his discourse. To my mind, this theme is still relevant, and I hope that this conference will be a place in which the relationships between science and art can be examined."
M. Auziņš also informed the conference that a month previously the senate of the university had decided to bestow an honorary doctorate on two excellent people - Isaiah Berlin and Pauls Valdens - both of whom, for certain reasons had not obtained this recognition in their own lifetime.
"We are situated in Moscow's suburb (a region of Riga), near to which was once situated Riga's ghetto. Now, one of Latvia's largest institutions of social sciences is stationed here. This is one small fragment of our contradictory history," pointed out the deacon of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Inta Brikše. More information about events marking the 100th anniversary of the philosopher's birth can be found on the organisations official web page www.berlinriga.com.
In his turn, the rector of the university, Professor Mārcis Auziņš, in welcoming the conference participants hailed Isaiah Berlin as one of Latvia's great sons.
"Before Charles Snow gave a lecture in May 1959 on "Two Cultures", in which he looked at the relationships between art and science, Isaiah Berlin had already analysed this theme in his discourse. To my mind, this theme is still relevant, and I hope that this conference will be a place in which the relationships between science and art can be examined."
M. Auziņš also informed the conference that a month previously the senate of the university had decided to bestow an honorary doctorate on two excellent people - Isaiah Berlin and Pauls Valdens - both of whom, for certain reasons had not obtained this recognition in their own lifetime.
"We are situated in Moscow's suburb (a region of Riga), near to which was once situated Riga's ghetto. Now, one of Latvia's largest institutions of social sciences is stationed here. This is one small fragment of our contradictory history," pointed out the deacon of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Inta Brikše. More information about events marking the 100th anniversary of the philosopher's birth can be found on the organisations official web page www.berlinriga.com.
