What would a world without Liberalism look like? How does the current erosion of liberal values affect artistic and social practices? What happens to scientific freedom if a liberal script is no longer the basis of knowledge production? As a keynote ensemble Jens Bisky, Luise Meier and Kalypso Nicolaïdis jointly reflected on the current reverberations and morphings underway in the debate over liberalism. They represented three distinct voices in the arts, sciences and the public realm – realms that have something important in common: they depend on liberal ideas about the independence of science, about the freedom of expression in arts and about free exchanges in the public realm. The plurivocal reflection on the liberal script of organizing politics and society inaugurated the research process ahead for the Cluster of Excellence SCRIPTS – Contestations of the Liberal Script.

JENS BISKY is a journalist, writer, and literary critic known for his seismographic and historical observations on culture and politics. In his essays, journalistic work, and books he deliberately tracks paradoxes and complexities of contemporary societies, reflecting their literary and public practices. His most recent book Berlin: Biographie einer großen Stadt appeared in 2019. He has been awarded the Johann-Heinrich-Merck-Prize for Literary Criticism and Essay Writing by the German Academy for Language.

LUISE MEIER is a writer and freelance author, among others for the Volksbühne Berlin. Trained in Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Anthropolgy, Literature she is known for her outrageous, feminist and political reflexions and pieces in various artistic fields of performance art and literature. Her book The MRX Machine appeared 2018. 

KALYPSO NICOLAÏDIS is Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford and Director of the Center for International Studies and the Department of Politics and International Relations. She teaches theory of international relations, European integration, international political economy, negotiation and research methods.