Laudatio del Prof. Richard Kerridge a Thom van Dooren, VII Premio Biophilia

The laudatio is a well-structured and eloquent tribute to Thom van Dooren’s work in environmental humanities. Kerridge, himself a professor of creative writing and environmental humanities, provides an informed and nuanced overview of van Dooren’s contributions. The speech effectively situates van Dooren’s work within the broader context of poststructuralist theory and ecological science, drawing parallels between the two. Kerridge’s explanation of concepts like ‘material-discursive’ and ‘umwelt’ is clear and accessible, making complex ideas understandable without oversimplifying. The argumentation is solid, as it is grounded in van Dooren’s published works and established academic discourse. The sources cited are primarily van Dooren’s books, which are reputable academic publications. However, the video is an opinion piece, not a peer-reviewed analysis, and it does not engage with potential criticisms or alternative perspectives. The adéquation between title and content is perfect, as the video is exactly a laudatio. The main strength is the clarity and depth of the presentation, which successfully conveys the significance of van Dooren’s work. A minor weakness is that it may be somewhat hagiographic, lacking critical distance. Overall, it is a valuable resource for understanding the contributions of a leading figure in environmental humanities, but it should be complemented with primary sources for a more comprehensive view.

The title accurately describes the content: a laudatio for Thom van Dooren, recipient of the VII Premio Biophilia.

8/10

The video is a laudatio by a recognized scholar (Richard Kerridge) for an award ceremony, presenting the work of Thom van Dooren. It is based on established academic contributions and published books, with no apparent factual errors. However, it is an opinion piece and does not provide verifiable data or sources beyond the mentioned works.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 00:00Introduction and presentation of Thom van Dooren as award recipient.
• 01:00Overview of van Dooren's academic positions and books.
• 03:00Discussion of poststructuralist theory and its connection to ecology.
• 05:00Explanation of environmental humanities and van Dooren's method.
• 07:00Examples of extinction as unraveling, including vultures and snails.
• 09:00Concept of 'umwelt' and the snail's slime as a sensory system.
• 11:00Conclusion: thanks and call to action.

• Thom van Dooren, VII Premio Biophilia Fundación BBVA — Official announcement of the award and ceremony details.
• Fundación BBVA LinkedIn — Social media profile of the foundation, providing additional context.

• Thom van Dooren's books — Columbia University Press author page for van Dooren's books.