Events

Modern malaise and the price of freedom

Víctor Lapuente and David Mejía

The Rafael del Pino Foundation is organising, on 16 September 2025 at 7 p.m., the master conference "Modern malaise and the price of freedom", which will be given by the following lecturer Víctor Lapuente. After the keynote lecture, Professor Lapuente will dialogue with David Mejía. The event is held on the occasion of the publication of the work by Víctor Lapuente entitled Immanence (AdN Editorial Grupo Anaya 2025). In his works, Professor Lapuente subtly describes contemporary evils and their roots in a technocratic and dehumanising logic, as well as the risks of digital anarchy.

Víctor Lapuente holds a PhD in political science from Oxford University and is currently Professor at the University of Gothenburg and Visiting Professor at ESADE. His research analyses why some countries enjoy a higher quality of government than others, and has been published in scientific journals such as The Journal of Politics, European Journal of Political Research, Journal of Public Administration Research & Theory, Governance, Party Politics, Political Research Quarterly or Local Government Studies. His analyses have been mentioned in international media such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, The Guardian, Politico, BBC Radio, CNN, Time Magazine, Foreign Policy, among others. He is a columnist for El País and a contributor to Cadena SER. He is the author of Organizando el Leviatán. Why the balance between politicians and bureaucrats improves governments (Deusto, 2018; in English, Cambridge University Press 2017) and The Return of the Shamans (Península, 2015).

David Mejía is Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at IE University. He holds a PhD from the University of Columbia (New York). He previously graduated in Philosophy at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and in Literary Theory at the Universidad Complutense. He has been a contributor to the newspaper El Español and The Objectivewhere he hosted the interview podcast Crossed lives. He also collaborates with publications such as Keys to Practical Reason, Book Review, Letras Libres o Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos.

If you would like to attend, please contact the foundation by e-mail at confirmaciones@frdelpino.es.

The Rafael del Pino Foundation is not responsible for the comments, opinions or statements made by the people who participate in its activities and which are expressed as a result of their inalienable right to freedom of expression and under their sole responsibility. The contents included in the summary of this conference are the result of the debates held at the meeting held for this purpose at the Foundation and are the responsibility of their authors.

The Rafael del Pino Foundation is not responsible for any comments, opinions or statements made by third parties. In this respect, the FRP is not obliged to monitor the views expressed by such third parties who participate in its activities and which are expressed as a result of their inalienable right to freedom of expression and under their own responsibility. The contents included in the summary of this conference are the result of the discussions that took place during the conference organised for this purpose at the Foundation and are the sole responsibility of its authors.