Aim of
G10 Festivals
Every year we hold G10 Festival in Amsterdam to discover new ideas of our time.
The aim of the G10 is to provide a space where important developments are identified and interpreted. G10 serves as a creative laboratory where new ideas with philosophical and economic implications will be at the center of interest.
Philosophers, artists, and economists often share more common ground than one might expect. We use the original meaning of economics, ‘Oikos,’ which means house or household. The economy is a household that should be efficiently managed. Our house is in need of renovation, but before we can renovate, we must first understand where the renovation is needed. This requires imagination to envision the future of the house.
The economists at G10 speak less about taxes and interest rates, focusing instead on future forms of society. We employ philosophy to interpret underlying patterns based on hidden power structures or to dismantle empty words and concepts.
This year, AI will receive special attention as we witness the development of a technological society where machines, rather than humans, increasingly make decisions. At G10, we aim to understand broader phenomena rather than get lost in random details.
Our mission is to make the invisible visible by drawing special connections between the themes discussed. For instance, Stephen Hawking, in his final days, spoke about ‘Coming Home’—but what did he mean? Today, the world craves a thoughtful approach to the future, especially as new powers within society—like artificial intelligence, superlearning, wars, neuroscience, happiness, and knowledge—come to the forefront.
The speakers we invite are selected for their unique insights and originality. Both days will conclude with an analysis of our world, brilliantly commented on by Slavoj Žižek.
Why is G10 so unique? In an era of dwindling budgets for analytical journalism, shrinking publishing houses, and increasingly unreliable media—where technology seems to outpace journalism—the G10 returns to traditional concepts. We organize focused sessions where the emphasis is on meaningful discovery.
How do we choose our topics? The G10 organization keeps its ears open in all directions, from physics to history, philosophy to avant-garde economics. Our topics are chosen to anticipate the future in a ‘poetic’ way—poetic as Novalis once described: clear thinking with an undogmatic mind.
Previous G10 speakers
Žižek
Varoufakis
Ypi
Sloterdijk
Foster
Scholten
van Heemstra
Gül
Schneider
Luyendijk
van Heemstra
Scholte
Parks
Gescinska
Fransen
Bauman
Charim
Fischer
Omtzigt
Shafak
Slob
Lobsang
Sheldrake
Baden
Baker Roshi
D. Precht
Kaan
Slob
Weiwei
Strauß
Heijne
Festival Volunteers
We are grateful for our volunteers and are excited to welcome a limited number of dedicated individuals during G10 festival days. If you are interested or would like more information, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@g10vandeeconomie.nl. All volunteers (whether at the book stand, entrance, or the wine bar) can participate in the entire festival program and will receive a signed book.
