Compassion. The Art of an Ethical Problem
From 17 to 21 October 2007 the Nexus Seminar will explore the meaning of Compassion for nowadays society, arts and morals. Questions arise such as: What is the aesthetical and moral impact of compassion in art and society? Can or should compassion in art lead to moral education? Is it possible to build a society or a legal system on compassion? During the four days at San Servolo five world famous intellectuals — George Steiner, Ingrid Rowland, Jean Clair, Mitchell Cohen and George Klein — will discuss, among more things, Achilles’ compassion in the last book of Homer’s Iliad, the theme of Passion, pietà and compassion in Renaissance painting, the ‘durch Mitleid wissend’-theme in Richard Wagner’s opera Parsifal, and compassion in times of cancer and aids.

For whom
The seminar lectures are open to all students and staff of Venice International University. The Nexus Institute invites a limited number of interested participants from The Netherlands (maximum of 30 people), who will have to prepare and pay in order to take part in this seminar. Both the speakers as well as the Nexus participants will stay at San Servolo.
The mayor of Venice Massimo Cacciari will be asked to address the guests and/or take part in one of the conversations.

For all information, please download the document (in pdf) Brochure Venice October 2007.