Europe as we know it today, where we live in a society shaped by Enlightenment values, is inextricably bound up with the idea of revolution. The French Revolution marked a high point of the Age of Enlightenment, leading to the emergence of modern democratic states. Just as this new era began to dawn, Mozart was producing works such as Le nozze di Figaro, whose titular character is filled with the spirit of rebellion. In Don Giovanni, on the other hand, a libertine who deviates from all social norms flits through the world wreaking havoc – until he is dragged down to the abyss.

The Festival’s 2024 season brings us into contact with a set of human characteristics exhibited by people who occupy the margins of society and get trapped in their own obsessions. These characteristics are personified in the figure of the gambler, as ingeniously conceived by Dostoevsky and set to music by Prokofiev on the eve of another momentous, world-changing revolution; the gambler who pulls himself and everything around him into a vortex of ruin and annihilation. The trope of the gambler is, in turn, a symbol of our world today: one which reveals how everything is a game to be played, how life is lived to excess, and how humans are prone to hubris.

In the face of multiple crises, a ‘society of singularities’ and unchecked radical individualism, the idea of a society based on solidarity and communal obligations is increasingly receding into the background. Democratic forms of government are on the defensive and autocratic regimes on the offensive. In a world where people are subjected to endless rules and demands, where societies are placed under ever-mounting pressure and restrictions on freedom, we see two modes of reaction: rebellion (revolt) and resignation.

This year’s two-part Festival Dialogue offers a forum for us to consider the limits of individual freedom and the value of social agreements. In the spirit of Albert Camus’ declaration ‘I rebel, therefore we exist,’ we will discuss how experiences of fear, suffering and loss can either galvanize action or act as a paralyzing force, leading to pessimism and resignation. – Rebellion (revolt) understood as a form of action geared towards solidarity.

We will delve into the question of how much freedom democracy can tolerate, how much freedom a society needs, and how much freedom the individual can handle. We will debate the tectonic shifts and tipping points that threaten the collapse of human civilization. And we will give thought to our dwindling ability to get along with our differences: by exploring how we might become more empathetic and open to others, even in the face of difficult challenges and our fragile future existence.

Wednesday, 7 August 2024, 11.00 am, Great Hall of the University
With Solmaz Khorsand, Doron Rabinovici and Peter Sellars

Tuesday, 20 August 2024, 11.00 am, Great Hall of the University
With Maxim Biller, Donatella Di Cesare, Eva von Redecker and Armin Thurnher

Concept: Markus Hinterhäuser, Margarethe Lasinger und Stefan Wally

Moderation: Michael Kerbler