The Kantian phrase sapere aude is a foundational declaration of modernity. Independent thinking— which enables self-determination and self-fulfilment— is the possible condition for an emancipation born from the Enlightenment. With the end of the major narratives that post-modernity represents and from our posthumous condition, it is more relevant than ever to discuss what role culture— knowledge, education, artistic creation— has and should have in order to stay true to the unwavering objective of individual and collective emancipation. Furthermore, it must not be forgotten that culture can also be an instrument of power for dominant classes and a mechanism that accentuates inequalities. However, it can and should be an instrument that favours cohesion and equality with a dialectical combination of bottom-up and top-down processes that transcend sterile hierarchies.

We will discuss these topics with Argentinean film maker and writer César González and author and philologist Blanca Llum Vidal in a debate moderated by journalist and writer Albert Lladó.