Why is Europe stagnating – and what should we build next?
A salon evening on progress, stagnation, and Europe's future
Every year the economic gap between the US and Europe gets wider. Progress studies — a field launched by Tyler Cowen and Patrick Collison in a 2019 Atlantic essay — examines why civilisations flourish and why they stall. It has gained real traction in the US. In Europe, where the question is arguably most urgent, the conversation has barely started.
This salon is the first in a series that aims to change that — not just to diagnose what's going wrong, but to ask what Europe could build if it got serious about progress again. Starting from Stockholm.
Program
Johan Norberg – Why do golden ages end – and how do we keep Europe's alive? Johan is an author and commentator, and has written some twenty books on progress and globalization, most recently Peak Human.
Stefan Schubert – Why do we underestimate progress? Stefan is a researcher affiliated with the Institute for Futures Studies and writes the newsletter The Update.
Beatrice Erkers – What is "progress studies," and why does Europe need it? Beatrice runs the Existential Hope program at Foresight Institute, and runs the Existential Hope newsletter.
Drinks and mingle before and after.