Five days of collective reflection at the Madách 200 Festival of Thought
Economic and social issues, psychology, philosophy, ecology, space exploration: just a few of the topics that can be discussed in the context of Imre Madách's 200-year-old classic The Tragedy of Man. The five-day festival of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme, the Madách 200 Thought Festival, is now delving into the deepest layers of the writer's work and inviting all those interested in the lessons of the past, the challenges of the present and the opportunities offered by the future to share their thoughts. The Tragedy of Man is not being examined from the point of view of literary history; the festival programme will explore the ideas and issues it raises.
Is eternal life possible? Is sustainable development sustainable? What is behind the climate crisis or the phenomenon of loneliness? What is the future of money and capitalism? What are the sciences and pseudosciences? What are the latest astronomical discoveries and what are the dangers of ageing societies? How can artificial intelligence help us in our daily lives or, on the contrary, what negative effects could the AI world have? These are some of the questions that will be answered at the Madách 200 Festival of Thought from 25 to 29 October, which will focus on science, history, politics, philosophy and world culture. Exciting talks, presentations, concerts and tech curiosities await everyone who attends this special five-day journey.
Each day of the festival will focus on a different theme. The first day (25 October) will take a closer look at the history of human creation, the evolution of mankind, and will also focus on the purpose of man in the world and where the future will take us. On the second day (26 October), experts will discuss the Egyptian, Athenian and Roman cultures, the themes of autocracy and democracy, the self and the community, and the history of religion in Europe. The third day (27 October) will focus on the ideas of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, the sciences of the period, democracy and the burning issues of our time. Burnout, work-life balance and the importance of our dreams will also be among the topics. The fourth day (28 October) will be all about the economy and the technological revolution, and all the positives and negatives of consumerism will be discussed. The final day (29 October) will focus on the possibilities of our future. Ecology, the environment, climate catastrophe and the climate crisis that comes with it: what are the solutions to today's most pressing problems and how can we, as individuals and on a larger scale, make a difference? Together with sociologists, scientists, teachers, church leaders, economists and philosophers, we will seek answers.
During the festival, we can meet experts, public figures and creators such as Prof. Dr. Dominik Finkelde, a German philosopher, who will seek answers to the question of where humanity came from and where it is heading, or Eörs Szathmáry, an evolutionary biologist, Éva Hideg, a futurologist, and András Gelencsér, a chemical engineer, who will explore the possibilities of sustainable development in a joint discussion. Izsák Baán, a monk of the Benedictine community of Bakony, will discuss the relationship between the self and the community with musician Gergely Balla, and we will also learn about the global consequences of ageing societies with the help of philosophers Szabolcs Pogonyi, Zoltán Pogátsa, an economist, and Krisztián Kocsis, a neurobiologist.
The venues in Veszprém - ActiCity, FOTON, Expresszo, TEREM, Papírkutya, Hangvilla and Fricska Restaurant - will all become multicultural venues during the five days of the festival. Ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Czech, French, British and even Inuit culture will be on display, and not just in thought-provoking talks. From a French punk-rock concert, to tasting Inuit and molecular gastronomic specialities, to contemporary theatre and listening to Arabic songs, the programme will not only engage your mind, but is guaranteed to touch all your senses.
More information HERE
Press information: Mihály Müller / Press Officer - VEB2023 ECF
+36 30 551 7937 / mihaly.muller@veszprembalaton2023.hu
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