Nexus Conference June 11th 2010 What’s Next for the West? Superman meets Beethoven

part of the Holland Festival 2010

George Steiner - Dominique de Villepin - Volker Schlöndorff - Colm Tóibín Margaret MacMillan - Kishore Mahbubani - Russell Sherman - Nick Bostrom Robert Kagan - Seyla Benhabib - Alexander Goehr - Michael J. Sandel Horia-Roman Patapievici - Hartmut Haenchen

Up until the First World War Beethoven’s music was synonymous with the ideal of European civilization. His Ninth Symphony expressed the hope of universal advancement and brotherhood through art and beauty. Two world wars later this ideal has lost much of its stature: despite art and despite the Ninth, mankind still proved to be capable of unspeakable atrocities. Which ideal of civilization could inspire us now?

Might Superman be our new hero, one that stands for science, technology and social engineering? Do we need to adopt other non-Western values as our new ideal? Or is the ideal exemplified by Beethoven still valid? The Nexus Institute has invited a number of leading intellectuals from all over the world to discuss the future of our ideals of civilization. The Nexus Conference will be followed by a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth.

June 11th from 10.00 am to 05.00 pm (concert 08.15 pm) Concertgebouw in Amsterdam

www.nexus-instituut.nl

www.hollandfestival.nl