The open society, like democracy itself, thrives on individual freedom as well as respect for the ways of life of others. At the same time, there is an ongoing public debate about conflicting moral beliefs and their political consequences. Many people ask themselves: What is good, what is bad? What role should the state play in moral questions? This touches on many issues — such as climate change, social inequality, or “wokeness.” Yet from the conservative side, too, there are laments about the “decline of values” and the atomization of the individual.
Different schools of liberalism argue, in light of the contentious nature of morality, for the importance of a shared moral consensus — a common understanding of what is considered good. Such a consensus would emerge independently of the state, growing organically from within society. But is such a consensus desirable? And what might it look like?
In this debate, various libertarian and liberal conceptions of morality will meet and engage in discussion about how both the open society and democracy can constructively deal with differing moral perspectives within society. The goal is also to develop a defense of the democratic constitutional state against attacks and attempts at appropriation from across the political spectrum. Our discussion will cover the full range of liberal thought — from social-ecological to conservative perspectives — and will also introduce Objectivism, the philosophy of rational self-interest, which categorically rejects collectivism, as a young, innovative perspective in this debate.
#berlinfreedomweek
Dates
November 2025
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