Chance and Coincidence: Can We Control Them?

Philosophers have long realised that the good life and a flourishing society are not immune to the whims of chance. Yet it is less widely acknowledged that humans can exercise substantial agency over chance, both by regulating different spheres of social life and by seizing chance opportunities. What is gained by inviting chance in human practices? What is the flip side of doing so? This lecture investigates the values associated with chance in the practical realm. 

About the speaker
Jeroen Hopster is Assistant Professor of Ethics at Utrecht University and a member of the Utrecht Young Academy. His research topics span the fields of technology ethics, climate ethics and evolutionary ethics. This lecture builds on his recent book (in Dutch) on chance and coincidence: Toeval: een onvoorziene filosofie.