Public dialogues
Focused conversations that bring more than one perspective to a consequential question.
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The Convergence · Flagship convening in development
A gathering built around the questions humanity has never finished answering.
The Convergence is envisioned as a major public intellectual and cultural gathering where philosophy, science, literature, technology, religion, art, and the public meet around fundamental questions.
The gathering / The vision
Ideas come alive between people.
The Convergence is envisioned as a meeting place for people and disciplines that do not always share a room. Its value would lie in the encounter: careful questions, unexpected connections, and time to stay with an idea.
Proposed formats · In development
Interdisciplinary encounters
Connections among philosophy, literature, culture, and other fields of inquiry.
Spaces for reflection
Smaller conversations that give participants room to listen, question, and respond.
These formats describe the intended direction. No schedule, enrollment, membership, or registration is open.
Begin the inquiry now.
Find a reading pathway →Organized around the question
Most conferences begin with a discipline. The Convergence begins with questions: What is consciousness? What makes a person the same person over time? Can artificial intelligence become conscious? Is meaning discovered or constructed?
A philosopher, neuroscientist, novelist, theologian, physicist, artist, and curious member of the public may approach the same question differently. The encounter is the program.
An intellectual world for a day or weekend
The long-term vision is a major annual gathering beginning in Atlanta. It may eventually span multiple stages, lecture halls, salons, book spaces, workshops, installations, recording spaces, social environments, hospitality, student programming, and evening events.
- The Forum: major lectures, debates, and interdisciplinary conversations.
- The Metaphysics Salon: intimate inquiry into consciousness, reality, identity, causation, freedom, death, and mind.
- The Library: authors, readings, independent publishers, philosophy presses, and curated booksellers.
- The Lab: philosophy in conversation with AI, neuroscience, physics, technology, bioethics, and future societies.
- Unknown Questions: one unresolved question considered across several disciplines.
- The Commons, Reflection Space, and After Hours: room to meet, think, continue the conversation, and build intellectual community.
Who it is for
The common qualification is curiosity. The Convergence is intended for philosophers, students, professors, authors, scientists, researchers, artists, technologists, theologians, psychologists, educators, creators, readers, and the intellectually curious public.
The inaugural program is being developed for Atlanta. No date, venue, speaker, partner, attendance figure, ticket, or sponsor is announced until confirmed.
The long view
The ambition is to build an internationally recognizable convening around humanity’s unresolved questions: a place scholars want to speak, authors want to appear, universities want to join, students can access, journalists seek ideas, and the public encounters serious thought.
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Academy, Society, Convergence & events
programs@theunknowninstitute.orgInclude your area of interest and any relevant deadline.
Prepare your inquiry →Continue your exploration
Stay in the conversation
Good questions.
Worth keeping close.
Future essays, program announcements, and invitations from the Institute.