International Symposium 2021: At the Crossroads of History

Symposium of Social Singularity in the 21st Century: At the Crossroads of History was hosted in the representative premises of the Monastery of St. Agnes of Bohemia on September 18, 2021. Watch the event after-movie below.

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We live in a unique time that will probably be perceived as a turning point from the perspective of future historians. We are witnessing the suffering that has plagued humanity since time immemorial being in decline today. Today, less than one-tenth of the world's population lives in extreme poverty, which affected more than 90% of people in the early 19th century. Violence in the form of wars, murders, or rapes is at an all-time low across the world. The availability of quality medical care, life expectancy, education, and material security is increasing.

On the other hand, we hear more and more voices that we live in a time of decline and ruin, doomed to imminent destruction. Individuals with authoritarian tendencies and followers of separation to hateful ideologies are gaining power across the civilized world. Societies are polarizing. The level of constructive public debate is declining, and there is talk of an overall destabilization of democratic institutions. We see the danger of the growing influence of extremist groups, the promotion of meaningless pleasing “solutions” and the growth of social conflicts.

The term social singularity describes an exceptional period when there are fundamental and sudden changes in the functioning of the human community. Many experts expect such fundamental changes in the functioning of human societies in the 21st century. These changes can mean a significant shift for the better as well as for the much worse. It is a unique event in history, a crossroads of history. We can embark on a successful direction thanks to technology and social change.

The symposium aims to open space for a constructive discussion on the serious issues and problems that this turning point brings, and thus help global society to turn the current crisis into an opportunity. The mission of the symposium is to invite experts in law, political science, genetics, sociology, psychology, and other disciplines to a multidisciplinary debate.‍

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Speakers & Lectures

• L. A. Paul, Yale University: Decision Making in Times of Transformative Change

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• Theodore Modis, Growth Dynamics: A Check on the Hypothesis of an Approaching Technological Singularity

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• Jan Vijg, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York: The Great Technology Slowdown: Looking for the Silver Lining

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• Kate Raworth, Oxford University: What Will it Take for Humanity to Thrive in the 21st Century?

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• Jiří Přibáň, Cardiff University: From the Social Imagination to the Sociological Enlightenment: Observing the Evolving Global Culture and Civilisation

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• Karel Janeček, Institute H21: World at the Crossroads of History: How to Find Common Ground during the Civilisation Crisis?

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• Annick Laruelle, University of the Basque Country: “Not this one”: The Approval and Disapproval Ballot

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• Irina Shestakova, St. Petersburg Mining University: To Be or Not to Be? The Eternal Question in the Era of Digital Transition