This Seminar, organized in conjunction with The Aspen Institute, America, examined the relevance today of Enlightenment values through the analysis of more than forty texts by American and European authors – including several Italian writers – which paved the way for contemporary thinking. The Seminar got underway with a look at the contradictions of our time, caught as it is between universalist idealism and the need for concrete responses to global problems. In this regard, the participants observed that rereading Enlightenment authors sheds light on the interpretation of the complex relationship between religions and secular states, particularly with reference to the new implications of a globalized and multicultural society. Another important issue discussed was that of scientific progress, which today raises new ethical questions and calls for improved accessibility to sources of knowledge.
The principles and values of the liberalist tradition still provide a resource for the recognition of the rights and responsibilities of the individual in an open society, fuelling debate between the participants on the recognition today of human dignity and freedom of expression. The issue of the balance between the various powers of the state and the limitation of sovereignty was also felt to be of great topical relevance, as is illustrated in the trade-off between the time and other demands of democratic debate on the one hand, and the need to make quick decisions for government action to be effective on the other. Another aspect examined in the participants’ contemporary reading of Enlightenment texts was the development of the principles of horizontal and vertical subsidiarity, with specific reference to the emergence of federal structures (including in large countries such as China and India). In this regard, the participants acknowledged the importance of the complex trend that has seen Member States ceding larger areas of sovereignty to the EU, which may also enable transatlantic and international relations to be further simplified.
The participants went on to consider the emergence of free-market and trade theories in the post-communist era, and, conversely, the new limits made apparent by the recent crisis and the unresolved problems of underdevelopment and environmental sustainability. Special attention was focused on the role states should play in promoting the economy and welfare. The Seminar concluded with an examination – in light of Enlightenment ideals – of current international conflicts, asymmetric warfare and terrorism, exploring the issue of whether it will be possible to deal with these threats on the basis of new methods and a rational approach.