This colloquium seeks to foster an analytically rigorous understanding of human freedom, conceptualized as the institutional arrangements that safeguard both personal freedom (such as freedom of conscience, expression, religion, and association) and economic freedom (such as secure property rights, open markets, and contractual freedom).
However, freedom is a contested term, and its understanding has evolved throughout history. Likewise, there is insufficient understanding and insight into how freedom emerges and the consequences it entails. It is important to try to advance our knowledge in these areas and to identify lacunæ in existing scholarship, not least to establish freedom as a fruitful topic for future research, which can in turn enrich public discourse and improve policymaking.
To that end, we will convene an intentionally diverse group of 14 scholars from fields such as law, philosophy, political science, sociology, and economics to interrogate questions of the following kind in six sessions:
What is the precise content of personal and economic freedom, and how have these concepts evolved historically? What is the relation between freedom and rights? Under what conditions do political and economic freedom reinforce, or conflict with, each other? Which formal and informal institutions have proven effective in safeguarding freedom, and how can they be adapted to contemporary challenges such as artificial intelligence, military conflict, and global migration? Where, if anywhere, should human freedom yield to “collective” concerns (e.g., public health, environmental externalities, social insurance, minority rights)?
Discussions will proceed in a Socratic format: pre-circulated texts (curated by Berggren and Bjørnskov), short framing remarks by a discussion leader, and moderated open dialogue. The colloquium aspires not only to clarify what freedom is, but also its causes and consequences, and how it can be sustained and extended in the twenty-first century and form the basis of a stimulating research program.
The colloquium takes place from Thursday 14 May until Sunday 17 May, 2026, at the Victory Hotel in Stockholm. It starts with dinner in the evening of the Thursday and ends with breakfast on the Sunday.
For more information, see the sections General Information, Participants and Program below.
Welcome to Stockholm!
Organizers: Niclas Berggren and Christian Bjørnskov