The Academy 2024 takes place at Wyboston Lakes, Bedfordshire. For a full overview, including how to buy tickets, visit The Academy 2024 page.
Friday 16 August
For Friday arrivals
1500
Room check-in opens
From 1930
Welcome dinner
Saturday 17 August
0930
Registration
1045 – 1100
Welcome address
THE ANTI-CIVILISATION ETHOS
Jacob Reynolds convenor, The Academy
1100 – 1230
Plenary I
FROM DECOLONISATION TO ISLAMISM: CIVILISATION UNDER SIEGE?
Professor Frank Furedi executive director, MCC Brussels
It often seems that Western civilisation is subject to a double threat. Internally, Western academics and activists insist on the ‘interrogation’ of Western history under the guise of decolonial activism and the recasting of civilisation as a series of crimes. Externally, a rising, increasingly anti-Western Islamism is on show, and not just in Yemen or Gaza. But such a division is perhaps too neat: the Islamism of Hamas finds supporters among the academic set in Western capitals, and foreign competitors like Russia or China are only too eager to repeat tropes about the West’s colonial history.
This lecture will examine what we mean by talk of Western civilisation, and where the real threats to it come from. Is this a question of a hostile, external threat, or is the issue much closer to home? When even supposed Western conservatives struggle to articulate the value of their civilisation, is the discovery of a new, foreign adversary an all-too-convenient alibi for a crisis of meaning in the heart of the West?
1230 – 1345
Lunch
1345 – 1515
Plenary II
SHAKESPEARE: CIVILISATION ON STAGE
Andrew Doyle writer, broadcaster, comedian
This session examines the enduring significance of William Shakespeare, a figure who many believe epitomises the literary and cultural achievements of Western civilisation. Yet, Western cultural elites seem increasingly uneasy with Shakespeare’s legacy – insisting on “reimagining” his plays with a new focus on “diversity”.
This lecture will argue that Shakespeare is an indispensable part of Western civilisation, and explore the historical and cultural conditions that made Shakespeare’s extraordinary body of work possible. What unique confluence of events and influences in Elizabethan England allowed a figure like Shakespeare to emerge and flourish? How did Shakespeare harness the language, politics, and social dynamics of his time to create works that resonate across centuries. This session not only defends Shakespeare’s relevance in the face of contemporary critiques but also celebrates his role in shaping Western civilisation.
1515 – 1545
Coffee break
For Saturday arrivals
1500
Room check-in opens
1545 – 1700
History I
THE RISE AND FALL OF INDUSTRIAL CIVILISATION
Dr Ashley Frawley columnist, Compact Magazine; sociologist, University of Kent; COO, Sublation Media; author, Significant Emotions (2023)
&
Dr Nikos Sotirakopoulos visiting fellow, Ayn Rand Institute
On many accounts of civilisation, one crucial ingredient is the ability to sustain human life in a degree of relative comfort. The introduction of agriculture and the possibility of feeding larger groups of people are often cited as key ingredients in making stable civilisational culture possible.
What, then, was the role of the Industrial Revolution in transforming civilisation? By opening the possibility of a gigantic leap in the productive capabilities of mankind, industrial economy made the fruits of civilisation potentially available to a much wider group of people. It also ushered in a new form of social organisation: industrial society. The ability of Western society to ‘deliver the goods’ made it a model for others to follow. But, as seen in the shift in industrial might towards the East, many now look elsewhere for their economic and perhaps civilisational models.
This lecture will examine the qualitative change in human prospects that was ushered in by the Industrial Revolution – and examine whether contemporary unease with civilisation in the West might be tied to the dim prospects for Western economies. To recapture faith in the West, do we need a new Industrial Revolution?
OR
1545 – 1700
Arts I
CULTURE UNDER SIEGE? THE TURN AGAINST HIGH ART
Professor Ian Pace pianist and Professor of Music, Culture and Society, City University London
Vicky Richardson architecture curator; former head of architecture and Drue Heinz Curator, Royal Academy
When asked to sum up what we mean by civilisation, many turn quickly to culture. In the West, a rough illustration of culture might encompass the epics of Homer, the poetry of Ovid, the sculpture of Michelangelo, the plays of Shakespeare, the music of Bach and the novels of Melville. Yet, this common-sense response already hides lots of what makes Western culture distinct. Indeed, the very concept of culture we owe to Ancient Roman civilisation – the preserving, extending and handing down of the legacy of the past. The conjunction of this with the context of Christian religion provided the springboard for much of what we think of now as ‘Western culture’.
The high culture of the West is emblematic in this regard, as it has often been the staging point for major moments of conversation and contestation about what ‘the West’ means. Yet today, the high arts are in crisis. They seem both to be reliant on a small number of recognisable ‘draws’ but also subject to the narrative of decolonisation. Contemporary iconoclasm meets a seeming indifference from cultural elites.
Does the attack on high art mirror a wider attack on Western civilisation? Or has the tradition of the classics largely run its course? Will anyone defend the achievements of the West?
1700 – 1730
Coffee break
1730 – 1900
Plenary III
THE ‘CLASH OF CIVILISATIONS’ REVISITED
Dr Tim Black books and essays editor, Spiked
Samuel Huntington’s 1996 book, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, has become one of the most influential – and misunderstood – texts of recent decades. Originally a response to Fukuyama’s declaration of the ‘end of history’ and major conflict, Huntington suggested that the post-Cold War period would be marked by cultural conflicts. The book’s ideas were widely caricatured after the World Trade Center attacks and the subsequent ‘war on terror’. For both Neocons and peaceniks, Huntington became the prophet of a new global war between the United States and others.
Yet today, Huntington’s work seems worth revisiting. His assertion against Fukuyama – that history was by no means over – appears vindicated by recent conflicts in Europe and the declining confidence in liberal capitalism. The West now faces challenges on multiple fronts – Putin’s Russia, Islamists and China – all of whom trumpet their ‘civilisational’ missions against it. Contemporary global conflicts seem as influenced by culture and ideas as by territory or security. What can we learn from revisiting Huntington’s text today?
1930
Dinner
2100 – 2200
After dinner discussion
ANTI-SEMITISM: CANARY IN THE COAL MINE?
Daniel Ben Ami journalist; creator, Radicalism of Fools
Anti-Semitism has often been a feature of particularly barbarous moments in history, and moments of tremendous upheaval and change. Why is this? Some have suggested that Jews are history’s scapegoats – made to take the blame for everything wrong with the world. Others argue that Jews often become symbols of disquiet with major forces like capitalism or modernity. If anti-Semitism is on the rise again today, what features or forces are causing disquiet? Have, as some suggest, Jews have come to symbolise the West itself? Join an open discussion after dinner to unpick contemporary and historical anti-Semitism.
Sunday 18 August
0930 – 1100
Plenary IV
IS THERE A THREAT TO WESTERN CIVILISATION?
Professor Bill Durodié chair of Risk and Security in International Relations, University of Bath
David Frost Lord Frost of Allenton, Conservative member of the House of Lords
Commentators, especially on the right, frequently insist that Western civilisation is under threat. But from what? Various answers are given. Radical Islamism, condoning extreme acts like those of Hamas, is often listed as a major threat. It’s not just terror that worries them; Islamism threatens fundamental Western ideas such as freedom of speech and the separation of religion and state. Others point to ‘civilisation states’ like Russia and China, which are increasingly assertive. Russia, in particular, asserts its mission against the ‘decadent’ West.
However, many commentators focus on threats closer to home. Woke rhetoric is said to challenge Western history and ideals, with everything from classical music to the combustion engine labelled as symbols of white supremacy. Such trends are especially strong in the education sector, raising concerns that generations have been taught to reject the legacy of the West. Other threats cited include collapsing birth rates, record immigration and social media.
Is there a danger of letting rhetoric run away with itself? Or do these undeniable challenges to Western ideas and geopolitical power amount to a civilisational battle? Should we be more concerned with a lack of faith in the West at home rather than threats from abroad? Is there a threat to Western civilisation?
1100 – 1130
Coffee break
1130 – 1245
History II
CIVILISING MAN: THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN HUMAN AND ANIMAL
Ann Furedi PhD candidate in Philosophy, VUB; author, The Moral Case for Abortion
Civilisation has both driven, and been driven, by a sense of what it means to be human. Since the ancient Greeks, civilised humans have defined themselves as distinct from animals, seeking to ‘differentiate ourselves from our creatureliness’. This distinction has been attributed to a divine soul, rationality or social organisation, marking a normative difference.
Now, theories of ‘post-humanism’ and ‘post-anthropocentrism’ challenge this human centrality. Some deny the uniqueness of human agency, reason and moral consideration, while others see these traits as non-distinctive. Post-human thinkers view the boundary between homo sapiens and other species as arbitrary, akin to the blurring of gender lines and linked to Queer Theory. The concept of ‘human’ is seen as a post-Enlightenment construct.
This marks a break from a past where civilisation meant separating from animals. Does the blurring of human-animal boundaries smother our sense of humanity, and erase the meaning and importance of civilisation?
OR
1130 – 1245
Arts II:
PRIMO LEVI: CIVILISATION AFTER BARBARISM
Sabine Beppler-Spahl chair Freiblickinstitut e.V
When Primo Levi wrote If This Is A Man, he was driven by the need to ‘tell our story’ to ‘the rest’. He saw this as the moral obligation of the survivor. On the surface, it seems Levi’s fear that his story might not be heard or believed has proved unfounded. In recent years, the Holocaust has become the topic of countless books and films. Yet, do any of these tell the story of Auschwitz as it really was?
Levi’s ambition – to tell the truth of the camps without pathos or heroism – seems a far cry from today’s attitude. His conviction that such unflinching honesty could rescue civilisation from the barbarism of the camps contrasts with both those who instrumentalise the Holocaust and those who would downplay its horror.
Instead of the appeal to ‘never forget’ – an unthinking formula often used by those in power – Levi asks us ‘to consider’. Auschwitz was the logical end of a chain of events set off by a dogma, he writes. If this dogma was anti-Semitism, what does that mean for us today?
1245-1345
Lunch
1345 – 1500
Plenary V:
RECLAIMING THE INSTITUTIONS: CAN CIVILISATION BE RESCUED?
Professor Simon Haines founding director, Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation (Sydney)
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Dr Patrick Nash expert on the English law of religion; founding director, Pharos Foundation (Oxford)
How should we face the issue of the cultural decay within key institutions of Western civilisation? From universities to arts organisations, the civil service to voluntary organisations like the Scouts, a range of institutions seem to have been “ideologically captured” by forces hostile to the legacy and achievements of the West. Should we strive to reform these existing institutions, or is it more feasible to cultivate new, alternative ones? Can entrenched bureaucracies and cultural bodies be reclaimed from within, or do we need to create parallel structures that resist contemporary cultural rot? The lecture will aim to chart a path forward for those committed to preserving the legacy of Western civilisation amidst growing internal and external challenges.
Note: Professor Haines will refer to model curricula for a distinctive approach to liberal arts. Find samples here.
1500-1515
Coffee break
1515 – 1645
Plenary VI
WHAT IS WESTERN CIVILISATION? AND HOW SHOULD WE DEFEND IT?
Bruno Waterfield Brussels Correspondent, The Times
When put on the spot, Western leaders often struggle to provide detail when they announce measures to support ‘Western’ or ‘British’ values. The recent debate over Rishi Sunak’s attempt to strengthen the definition of ‘extremism’ seems to be a case in point: rather than any articulation of what makes Britain unique, he promises a crackdown on both the far right and radical Islam. At the same time, leaders promise new restrictions on public life to combat the threat. Might there be some connection between the reflex towards restrictions and the inability to define what makes Britain or the West unique?
One tradition of thought identifies the West with a space of social freedom. Unlike other traditions, freedom in the West was sought outside and in contrast to the state or religion. For De Tocqueville, for example, the freedom of the United States of America consisted in the innumerable civil-society organisations – neither church nor state. The history of radical working-class movements in Britain provides another example – civilisation was to be found in the self-education and self-organisation movements that sprung up in response to religious or state domination.
In other words, might the difficulty in understanding how to define and defend Western civilisation have something to do with the contemporary tendency to see everything in terms of the state? This lecture will explore the legacy of Western civilisation in this space of autonomy outside state, church or ideology – and ask how we can defend it.
1645
Coffee and departure