Meet the authors: Eric Kaufmann and Frank Furedi on cultural renewal

This debate is part of Battle of Ideas Helsinki 2026.

The once-dominant philosophy of the West – defined by free expression, equality, national solidarity and scientific rationality – is in retreat. But what explains this development and how should we respond?

In Taboo: How Making Race Sacred Produced a Cultural Revolution, Eric Kaufmann argues that restrictions on free speech, due process and national symbols are fuelled by a desire to reduce psychological harm and bolster the esteem of formerly marginalised groups. The genesis of ‘woke’, he says, lies in liberal taboos around race that arose in the 1960s and came to be weaponised and extended to other areas, such as gender.

In Why Borders Matter: Why Humanity Must Relearn the Art of Drawing Boundaries, Frank Furedi highlights confusion surrounding cultural and political borders and boundaries – whether national borders or traditional boundaries separating adults and children, men and women, private and public spheres. The resultant loss of moral clarity, he says, coexists with attempts to construct new boundaries, whether safe spaces, identity groups or policing of language.

Kaufmann argues the solution lies in using state power and reforming public institutions to check institutional illiberalism and restore cultural flourishing, open debate and meritocracy. Furedi argues humanity must relearn the act of judgment and draw boundaries that can help guide people on the issues of everyday life. Are these effective solutions to renew workable core Western values? How can society revive the capacity for objective judgment and reason?