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Jesuit Munich Philosophy College Defends Canceling Sebastian Ostritsch Talk After Student Protests

The school says the philosopher’s polarizing positions turned the event into a security risk.

Overview

  • In a statement on its website, the Hochschule für Philosophie München said a heavily charged dispute over Sebastian Ostritsch’s views meant the planned academic discussion on proofs of God could no longer be ensured.
  • University leaders concluded a safe event was not guaranteed under the circumstances and decided to cancel the lecture.
  • The institution promised to review its procedures and to strengthen formats that make disagreement productive.
  • Student protests preceded the decision, and earlier coverage described Ostritsch’s conservative Catholic positions as the central point of contention.
  • Ostritsch delivered the talk at the Carlsbad Institute for Social Thought, and a circulating protest call had labeled him a “right-wing extremist fundamentalist,” Junge Freiheit reported.