The UAB pays homage to the "critical but hopeful vision" of Judith Butler
The UAB awarded an honorary doctorate today to Judith Butler, professor of the University of California, Berkeley, and world-renowned expert in feminism and queer theory. At the ceremony, Rector Javier Lafuente praised their "critical but hopeful vision". The award was proposed by the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting of the UAB. Judith Butler was sponsored by Lupe Romero, who declared in her laudatory speech that "her ideas have had an impact on a wide range of disciplines, from literary studies to sociology, law, psychoanalysis and translation studies".
In his speech, Rector Lafuente pointed out that "their contributions question deeply rooted categories" and "stimulate rigorous and demanding reflection" from a "critical and interdisciplinary perspective that embraces complexity". As the rector stated, "Butler's intellectual contribution has had an impact that has transcended the academic sphere and has become a benchmark in political and social debate".
In particular, he referred to how Butlerian thought challenges universities to "reaffirm the values that define us and decide what role we want to play in the formation of a critical citizenry committed to justice and the common good". Rector Lafuente recalled that this academic year, the UAB has adopted the motto "Unidiversity. Everyone is the UAB" to "claim the diversity of our community" and position itself "in favour of the diversity of society in general". As he assured, "it is essential that the university becomes a plural space based on the respect and celebration of diversity".
"Imagining the world we want to live in together"
In their master class Butler emphasised the role that, in their opinion, higher education should play: "The university’s highest obligation is to generate those potentials that help us to know one another and find the sites of collaboration with the power to transform the world." And they emphasised the idea that "no one has ever made a difference on their own", but that "we must jointly imagine the kind of world in which we want to live together, affirming life, love, freedom, equality, and a form of justice beyond all revenge.".
Butler spoke about democracy as a collective impulse and as something that must continue to be built: "No group established democracy and called the project done. No, every democracy has to be renewed. And for those who live in compromised democracies, it must be renewed in the direction of realizing those potentials that have never been realized before." Furthermore, recalling that they received the honorary doctorate at the proposal of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting, they dedicated explicit words against the current form of imperialism, relating it to the task of translation: "The point of translation is not to make every text into an English text. That would be a project of monolingualism, and our world needs to go in another direction."
The UAB, with Sustainable Development Goals
Reduced inequalities
Gender equality