Why dangerous ideas?
At its most basic definition, an idea is a thought or suggestion as a possible course of action. Immanuel Kant suggests that they may be realized or not. John Locke defines them as being important not just for what they are but also for what they do. Ultimately, the capacity to create and understand ideas is considered to be an essential and defining feature of human beings.
A dangerous idea is an idea that promotes or prevents change.
The Spiral of Inquiry
Teachers at Delta Secondary School teamed up to create an educational opportunity that challenges students to think critically, ask questions, and discuss their ideas. As lead learners we know that students must always be at the centre of our teaching and learning.
Teachers engaged in their own dangerous thinking by following the phases of the Spiral of Inquiry. We considered whether students would become more intellectually engaged and develop a stronger learner community if students were given more choice in their learning.
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The InspirationThe Festival of Dangerous Ideas was an annual event co-founded by Sydney Opera House and The Ethics Centre in 2009. It was presented at the Sydney Opera House for eight years until 2016. It took a hiatus but has since returned in full force at a new venue, with a new format, and more dangerous ideas!
The Festival of Dangerous Ideas was created to bring leading thinkers and culture creators from around Australia and the world to discuss and debate some of the most important issues of our time. Some featured speakers include: Germaine Greer, Julian Assange, Sam Harris, Jonathan Safran Foer, Stan Grant, Henry Rollins, Salman Rushdie, AC Grayling, Jon Ronson, Alicia Garza, and Tim Soutphommasane. FODI's co-founder Simon Longstaff wanted the festival to "become a safe space for all, a space within which one might encounter ideas that are - for some or for all - offensive, obnoxious, fearsome, dangerously stupid...whatever, but in conditions of restraint and disagreement." He further stated that "ideas of all kinds are best exposed to the light of reason and discernment...[FODI] allows people to calibrate their own thoughts about the issues that they encounter, knowing better the character of the dangerous idea that they hope to defeat. None of this is possible if the ideas are hidden away." |
The participants, organizers, and hosts of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas would like to pay their respects to the people of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and Scǝwaθǝn (Tsawwassen) məsteyəxʷ (Nations) and all Hǝn̓q̓ǝmin̓ǝm̓ (Hul'qumi'num) speaking people who allow us to learn, play, work, and think dangerously on their traditional, unceded and occupied lands. We also pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging, who have influenced the honest and critical dialogue that we hope to have during the Festival of Dangerous Ideas.