"Part of my goal today is to reflect on what has been my scholarly work of the last decade … to try to understand what holds together, what consistency I can find in my own varied work," Marx said as he began his lecture.
Marx opened the lecture by comparing three cases that he had studied extensively-South Africa, the U.S. and Brazil. In his attempt to understand race relations in the three different countries, he noticed the striking contrast of Brazil's position.
Through further research, he made a discovery that changed the course of his focus. "It hit me like a two-by-four one day that there was no civil war … or comparable single moment of whites fighting each other to the death in Brazilian history," Marx said. "Where whites had gone to war with each other [in other countries] ... the two sides had to find a way to make peace with each other … and so racism was institutionalized as a way to make peace between sides."
This thesis proved to be the basis of much of his subsequent research. Marx found contradictions in the accepted theories of the origins of nationalism. He explored this idea through much of the lecture, using European examples of like Spain, France and England to illustrate his point. Marx believes that the theories of the origins of nationalism are in need of revision, particularly because they are ethnocentric. "I believe nationalism has been … based fundamentally on exclusion and was based on exclusion at its very birth in European history," Marx said.
Marx also noted that when he started his new research into institutionalized racism, he had no idea where it would take him. But he encouraged this approach nonetheless. "Follow the questions that intrigue you, wherever they may lead," he said.
One of the ultimate conclusions that Marx drew from his research was that "much of nationalism is purposefully forgetting what came before … In forgetting past practices, we forge our unity." He pointed out the hypocrisies of some commonly-held Western beliefs and suggested that students take a fresh look at what they think they know. "We must see the illiberal processes of liberalism," Marx said. "We … too easily and too quickly … exclude some other group for the purposes of consolidating the group we adhere to. This logic leads to disaster."
While Marx didn't offer a solution to the problems that he identifies, he expressed hope for the future. "We can learn from our mistakes … if we understand where those mistakes come from," he said. "I hope that we … can learn from those lessons to find a different way forward."
After the address, he took questions from the audience. No students raised their hands at first. "I am a deep believer in not just tolerance but exchange and interaction," he said jokingly, encouraging the crowd to raise questions. But questions did arise, and he used their variety to keep coming back to his point that it is important for students to re-evaluate their situations, remember the past and try to understand the dynamics of the world around them.
Tim Zeiser '07 approved of Marx's oratory, but had some criticism. "I enjoyed President Marx's speech and found him to be an engaging orator. However, I feel that he tried to cover too much ground in a short period of time, and therefore his speech left me feeling somewhat stranded, questioning some of the implications of nationalism in modern society," Zeiser said. "Hence, I enjoyed the fluidity of the question and answer session, which truly highlighted Marx's critical reasoning abilities."