The Neuwaldegg Summer Seminar is the annual "signature" conference of the Neuwaldegg Institute. This week-long learning experience is designed to focus the attention of participants from a variety of fields upon key ideas and concepts which are foundational to every free society. A team of professors with expertise in different aspects of philosophy present an array of issues to stimulate reflection on the constitutive elements of stable democracies and genuine freedom.

The professors combine lecture and seminar formats as well as informal discussion to help their audience consider which ideas constitute the bedrock of healthy social life, the origin and justification of these ideas, and the consequences of their denial.

Over 60 graduate students from 16 countries of Central and Eastern Europe were recommended by the deans of their departments to participate in this year's seminar. They came from leading universities in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, and Russia. Students represented a variety of faculties, including psychology, politics, business, and medicine. The wide range of academic disciplines and nationalities ensured a fruitful discussion of how these principles should be applied in contemporary circumstances. There was ample opportunity for interaction of various kinds with the professors and visiting speakers throughout the week

The four-course format was as follows:

Introduction to the 'Science of Being' (Dr. Jan Aertsen) Dr. Aertsen challenged his audience to think beyond the limits set by many modern philosophers, especially within the Soviet world. As a background to the discussion of human actions and policies, the professor invited students to explore the ground and condition of practical discourse.

Trans-cultural Moral Reasoning (Dr. Calvin Colvert) Dr. Colvert made use of his dynamic style of lecturing to prompt students to make a profound review and comparison of ethical systems. He led students growing up in a global world to consider how we can seek together more adequate answers to the question "How then shall I live?".

Contemporary Issues in Bioethics (Dr. Jozef Glasa) Using his personal experience of actual policy debate at the European Union, Dr. Glasa presented six of the most urgent and complex issues of our day, including the use of stem cells, human genetics, and end-of-life decision making.

Foundations of Just and Equal Social Relations (Dr. Michael Pakaluk) Drawing on his work under W.V. Quine and John Rawls at Harvard University, Dr. Pakaluk presented for analysis various approaches to the organization of human society. In particular, he challenged participants to chart a course between the extremes of individualism and collectivism, errors which have so tragically marked the pages of twentieth-century history.

Go here to read some testimonials from participants