Dyr, bevissthet og illusjoner: Hva er vi, og hvem teller? Gjesteforelesning med Steffen Tretvoll Althand
Dyr, bevissthet og illusjoner: Hva er vi, og hvem teller? Gjesteforelesning med Steffen Tretvoll Althand — a guest lecture on animals, consciousness and moral status
Akademiske Dyreaktivister (Animal Activist Academics) invite you to a guest lecture with Steffen Tretvoll Althand, head of Norsk Vegansamfunn and a trained philosopher.
About the lecture Are we a soul, a stream of memories—or simply an animal?
The philosopher Eric Olson argues for the latter: you are a biological organism, and nothing more. If he is right, the distinction between us and other animals is not as clear as we think.
But what about consciousness, the inner experience that makes us “someone” and not just “something”? Illusionists such as Keith Frankish and Daniel Dennett argue that phenomenal consciousness is an illusion.
This raises an uncomfortable question for animal ethics: if moral status is based on the ability to have experiences, what happens when experience itself is called into question? Does this undermine the case for non-human animals, or expand the moral circle? Should we see animals as members of society, not just as moral objects?
Program 16:30–17:30 Lecture 17:30–18:30 Questions and answers, with free vegan pizza 🌱🍕
Practical information Date: Monday, 9 November 2026, 16:30–18:30 Venue: Arne Næss auditorium (room 103), Georg Morgenstiernes hus, Blindern campus, Universitetet i Oslo Address: Moltke Moes vei 30, 0851 Oslo Language: The lecture will be held in Norwegian Organizer: Akademiske Dyreaktivister (Animal Activist Academics), a student association at UiO Everyone is welcome, including non-students. Facebook event: https://facebook.com/events/s/guest-lecture-steffen-tretvoll/1769734104312915/ Instagram: @aaa.students Contact: [email protected]
