Peace and Security: Reflecting on the 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II — International Workshop Held at NYU Florence

On the morning of July 2, 2025, the academic workshop Peace and Security: Reflecting on the 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II was successfully held at NYU Florence. Bringing together philosophers, political scientists, historians, and policymakers from China, Europe, and the United States, the event offered a unique platform for interdisciplinary dialogue on how peace, justice, and global order are understood and pursued across different cultures. (NYU Florence, Villa La Pietra) The workshop was part of a broader cultural and academic program that began the day before. On July 1, participants gathered at the Limonaia of Villa La Pietra for a contemporary performance of Candide, by Ima Collab with award-winning director Chan Chu-hei from Hong Kong, adapted from Voltaire’s classic satire. (Ima Collab, 2025, A scene from Candide) The event was opened by Assistant Professor Maria Adele Carrai from NYU Shanghai and featured welcoming remarks from Rogan Kersh, Academic Director of NYU Florence. In his speech, Kersh emphasized the urgency of revitalizing academic dialogue in a polarized world. He reflected on NYU Florence’s growing reputation as a hub for global scholarship and outlined plans to strengthen transnational academic exchange through greater investment in scholar mobility, better integration of NYU’s international resources, and more adaptive models of collaboration. The workshop was organized against the backdrop of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II—a pivotal moment that redefined international institutions, norms, and global power structures. The legacies of that postwar order continue to shape our geopolitical landscape, even as they are increasingly contested by rising powers, regional realignments, and global crises. Set against this backdrop of profound transition, this interdisciplinary workshop aims to revisit the philosophical foundations of war and peace, the evolution of conflict resolution, and the contested values that underpin global governance. By bridging historical reflection with philosophical analysis and policy insight, it made a meaningful contribution to reimagining peace and global ethics in the 21st century. Chancellor Tong Shijun of NYU Shanghai praised NYU Florence's role in fostering East-West academic dialogue and applauded the organizing team. As a leading figure in Chinese philosophy, Tong opened the conference with reflections on Bertrand Russell’s 1919 visit to China and his postwar philosophical writings such as Has Man a Future? Tong compared Russell’s ideas on reason and ethics with the Chinese concept of li (理), emphasizing Russell’s optimism about humanity and his early role as a bridge between civilizations. Yet, Tong also noted Russell’s late-career concerns over the descent into what he called a “Thucydides’ Trap”—a pessimistic cycle of distrust that remains a pressing challenge for today’s philosophers. Continuing in this comparative spirit, Professor Liu Qing examined the relevance of Chinese intellectual traditions in rethinking peace under globalization. He argued that the global order’s instability stems from a contradiction: world-level political consequences are managed through domestic-level institutions, without a world government. Thus, the idea of world government, often dismissed as idealistic, is in fact a realistic imperative. Achieving such governance, he said, would require a cross-cultural ethical foundation—a “critical cosmopolitanism”—in which China’s tradition of harmony could play a constructive role if reinterpreted critically. The workshop then turned to questions of structural injustice and human development. World-renowned political philosopher Thomas Pogge from Yale University delivered a powerful address on global inequality. He pointed out that despite 80 years of American hegemony, millions remain in poverty due to structural injustice and exploitative global institutions. Pogge urged academics to take responsibility in understanding and addressing global poverty and human rights violations. He advocated for rethinking development metrics and prioritizing individual well-being in global governance frameworks. Turning to the intellectual foundations of modernity and conflict, Professor Gunnar Skirbekk from the University of Bergen emphasized the need for a more self-critical approach to both science and the humanities. In an era shaped by complexity, crisis, and rapid change, he argued that education and philosophical reflection remain key tools for cultivating peace. Sociologist Gerard Delanty of the University of Sussex picked up this thread with an analysis of how core values like democracy, human rights, and cosmopolitanism continue to define modernity—despite growing instability. He warned, however, that Europe is now entering a “post-Western” phase marked by authoritarian resurgence and declining U.S. influence. In response, Delanty called for a renewed European identity grounded in unity, reform, and strategic autonomy, especially in the face of threats like Russia’s ongoing aggression. Building on these critiques of dominant frameworks, Philosopher Professor Petar Bojanić from University of Belgrade contributed a critical perspective on the concept of “victory.” He challenged the assumption that victory marks the end of conflict, arguing instead that it can entrench polarization, suppress pluralism, and destabilize democracy. Bojanić called for a reconceptualization of peace—one rooted in mutual recognition and legitimacy, informed by democratic and indigenous traditions that emphasize shared authority and contestable outcomes. The discussion concluded with a talk by Professor Asger Sørensen of Aarhus University, who revisited Just War Theory through the lens of current conflicts, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Tracing his own intellectual journey from Kantian pacifism to a more pragmatic stance, Sørensen explored both jus ad bellum (right to war) and jus in bello (justice in war). He acknowledged the risks of ideological misuse but argued that a clear, philosophically grounded framework is essential to resist moral relativism and prevent the normalization of violence. In the afternoon, two roundtables brought together many of the workshop’s key themes, fostering dialogue among leading academics, think tanks representatives, and experts from various disciplines. Participants included Filippo Fasulo (Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale), Yifei Li (NYU Shanghai), Patricia Thornton (Oxford University), Giorgio Prodi (University of Bologna), Ivan Rasmussen (NYU Shanghai), Jennifer Rudolph (WPI), Aleksandar Stojanović (NYU Shanghai). Discussions ranged from the classical Chinese idea of tianxia (“all under heaven”) to China’s emerging role in the global order and the implications of so-called “non-Western traditions”. Participants debated whether new global frameworks can be built around older philosophical ideas, and how cross-cultural ethics might help stabilize a fragmented international order. The workshop marked a significant step in NYU Florence’s mission to serve as a crossroads for global scholarship. More than just a commemoration of a historical anniversary, it was a forward-looking conversation—one that asked what peace means today, and how we might still strive for it in an age of division. The workshop was made possible thanks to the generous support of NYU Shanghai, NYU Villa La Pietra, the British Academy, and collaboration with the Asia Society’s Center on U.S.–China Relations. Report written by Yeduo Pu, NYU Shanghai Pictures by Francesca Collinelli