Lecture: Georg Forster and the Discovery of Humanity

Andrea Wulf, award-winning bestselling author, portrays in this richly illustrated lecture the extraordinary life of Georg Forster—naturalist, writer, and revolutionary. As a young man, Forster accompanied James Cook on his second voyage around the world and, at just 22 years old, published his groundbreaking Voyage Round the World, which established him as a co-founder of scientific travel literature. He approached foreign cultures without prejudice and developed a firm belief in the equality of all people.

In Europe, Forster used his influence to boldly advocate for freedom, human rights, and against colonialism, racism, and slavery. As a central figure of the Mainz Republic, he became a political activist until the turmoil of the French Revolution forced him into exile. Andrea Wulf paints the portrait of a visionary whose ideas on humanity and tolerance continue to resonate today.