Event Details

Professor Francisco Bethencourt will lead this public lecture, exploring the historical construction of the concepts of Europe and, later, the West, examining when these ideas emerged and the political, cultural, and intellectual purposes they served.

During the lecture he will describe when, and for what purposes, the notion of Europe (and then the West) was created. He will investigate the far-reaching impact of European expansion on societies across the globe, highlighting how Europe itself was transformed through continuous exchanges of people, goods, ideas, and cultures. How did social divisions emerge and how have the main divisions of humankind been addressed in global history? Francisco will address these questions and more in this fascinating public lecture.