‘The supreme duty of the thinker of today is to auscultate civilization.’
– Victor Hugo

Anyone who in 2026 uses a stethoscope for investigating the health of Western civilization and listens well, detects many weaknesses and diseases. The world is dominated by a false conception of greatness, where the obsession with power, money and self-interest leads to more and more disunity. Furthermore, the soulless ‘machine civilization’ depicted in the science fiction film Metropolis (1927), has, due to our far-reaching worship of technology, become no longer a futuristic idea. We see the past repeating itself in the global return of nationalism, fascism, and other forms of hateful fanaticism. And while the world’s superpowers America, China, and Russia slide further into authoritarianism and antidemocracy, middle powers also seem incapable of upholding the international legal order.

Is this crisis of civilization still repairable? What are the causes of the decline of Western civilization and liberal democracy? Where do we rediscover, amid this moral wreckage, the foundations of our humanity, upon which a new civilization can be built? Where to find a convincing answer to these large, pressing questions, so that our sick civilization can be cured?

These and other issues will be discussed by leading international thinkers during the Nexus Conference 2026, ‘What Can Cure a Civilization in Crisis?’. The names of the speakers will be announced later on, but early birds can already order their tickets! The extensive essay by Rob Riemen introducing the topic of this conference can be found below.

The Nexus Conference 2026 will take place on Saturday 21 November in the theater of the National Opera & Ballet, Amstel 3 in Amsterdam. The opera is easily accessible by public transport (metro stop Waterlooplein).

The doors of the theater will open on 21 November at 10.15 AM. The doors to the auditorium open at 10.45 AM. and close at 11.00 AM., after which the lights in the auditorium will be turned off. If you arrive after the program has started, we will wait for a suitable time to guide you to a place in the auditorium from where you can follow the program. Anyone who leaves the auditorium during the program and wants to reenter the hall, will also be guided to a new place by a theater employee. This way, we will be able to guarantee a calm and safe visitor experience.

If you received your entrance ticket as a QR code by email of if you received a red ticket by post, you can take a seat at any place at hall level. If you received blue tickets as an invitee, you will be welcomed on the first balcony.

A vegetarian sandwich, a piece of fruit and a bottle of water are included in your entrance ticket. If you have dietary restrictions, please inform us no later than 7 November with a mail to info@nexus-instituut.nl .

English Nexus memberships give access to the livestream and recordings of the Nexus Conference. Members will find the livestream on the Nexus website on November 21nd between 11 AM and 5PM.