The roundtable explored how biological, developmental, and social influences transform individuals into group members, and when ethnic, religious, or national identity crosses from affiliation into fanaticism. It featured quotes from Einstein and Freud's "Why War?" correspondence examining power dynamics and emotional bonds within groups.
Speakers
Chip Gagnon
Associate Professor of Politics at Ithaca College
Long-time Visiting Scholar at Cornell University's Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies; Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University with focus on International Relations and...
Elise Giuliano
Lecturer in Political Science at Columbia University; Academic advisor at Columbia's Harriman Institute
Political scientist teaching secession, nationalism, and Russian politics; research focuses on politics-identity intersection.
Liah Greenfeld
University Professor and Professor of Sociology, Political Science, and Anthropology at Boston University
Author of works on nationalism and economic growth; published by Harvard University Press (1992, 2001, 2013).
Leora Kahn
Founder and President of PROOF: Media for Social Justice
Works with Amnesty International and UN; authored "Darfur: 20 years of War and Genocide" (2007).
Nathan M. Szajnberg
Wallerstein Research Fellow in Psychoanalysis, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis
Faculty member at New York Psychoanalytic Society; formerly Freud Professor at Hebrew University; author/editor of four books.
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