The 2026 Night of Ideas in Houston invites you to an afternoon and evening of reflection and conversation focusing on the legacies of the Enlightenment and the possibilities for thought, speech, and action today. At a moment when the foundations of democracy are being challenged and society faces multiple crises, from climate change to the rise of unregulated generative AI, how can critical thinking be nurtured, young voices be empowered, and collective action take form? What can we learn from the legacies of Enlightenment? How can we imagine different futures?
Organized in partnership with the Humanities Research Center at Rice University as part of the Critical Futures theme, this Night of Ideas brings together scholars, artists, students, and community members to explore the legacy of the Enlightenment and its contemporary relevance.
The event will feature Antoine Lilti, Professor at the Collège de France where he holds the chair in the History of the Enlightenment, 18th-21th century, Lumir Lapray, a community organizer focused on rural communities; and Stephen Sawyer, Ballantine-Leavitt Professor of History and Director of the Center for Critical Democracy Studies at the The American University of Paris.
Join us for an afternoon and night of ideas, dialogue, and imagination as we rethink the foundations of critical thought and envision the futures we want to build together.
Free and open to the public.