4th Agora Economica: Is History Inevitable or Accidental?

4th Agora Economica

Date and Time: June 20, 2025, 4:00 PM

Venue: Yeollim Hall

Topic: Is History Inevitable or Contingent?

Presenter: Taejong Kim, Professor, KDI School of Public Policy and Management

Moderator: Myungho Park, Professor Emeritus, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

Discussants: Youngrok Kim, Professor, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; Sunghoon Park, Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of International Studies, Korea University; Sungsik Shin, Research Fellow, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute; Hongtaek Jun, Professor Emeritus, KDI School of Public Policy and Management; Hyunjin Cha, Former Standing Commissioner, Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation

This Agora Economica centered on the question, “Is history inevitable, or is it contingent?” and explored diverse perspectives on historical interpretation and their implications for contemporary society. Based on the theme “Nothing comes from nothing,” it examined the dangers of a deterministic view of history. The discussion extended to the boundary between human choice and structural conditions, predictability and contingency, as well as reflections on Korea’s modernization process and a sustainable future.

Original title: 제4회: 역사는 필연 아니면 우연

Author: Agora Economica

Date: 2025-06-20

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=agora&pn=1&idx=27819