A collaboration between the Centre for Enlightenment Studies at Kings (http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/ahri/centres/cesk/index.aspx) the Re-Enlightenment Project (http://www.reenlightenment.org), the British Museum (http://www.britishmuseum.org) and the Royal Society of Arts (https://www.thersa.org).

A live podcast and video stream of the even will be available from 18:00 at https://www.thersa.org/events/2015/10/optimism-knowledge-and-the-future-of-enlightenment/ .

There is a growing global sense that the possibility of progress – a future for Enlightenment- is up for grabs right now. An optimism/pessimism divide is becoming ever more apparent, and what’s at stake is not feeling good or bad about the future, but the role of knowledge in making the future.

The RSA, the British Museum and King’s College London – three of London’s leading knowledge institutions, each with a common enlightenment heritage – are joining together to explore the theme of optimism as a force for 21st century progress. Knowledge-based optimism was critical to the cultural, social and scientific advances made in the 18th century Enlightenment. Is it what we need now, above all, if we are to remain open, committed to progress and unafraid to innovate?

Discussants to include: David Deutsch, father of the quantum computer; Martin Rees, cosmologist; J. D. Hill, Research Manager, the British Museum; Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the RSA Chair: Karen O’Brien, Vice-Principal, King’s College, London