brainwash special:
markus gabriel on doing good in the 21st century
February 19, 2026 • NDSM theater
When are we truly doing good in a complex world full of crises? And is a future possible in which progress goes hand in hand with moral responsibility? In this Brainwash Special, we talk with German philosopher Markus Gabriel, one of today’s most influential moral thinkers. Gabriel challenges us to look anew at the universal values that connect us.
At a time when profit often outweighs well-being, inequality and climate change reinforce one another, and trust in politics (and each other) is growing increasingly fragile, navigating the world can be difficult. Gabriel puts forward a provocative idea: moral facts do exist, and can therefore tell us what is right and what is wrong. How would our societies change if we dared to acknowledge that? And what would it mean for our economy, our politics and our individual choices?
The night will be hosted by economist, writer, journalist and presenter Marcia Luyten. Together with Markus Gabriel, she explore what a moral compass for the 21st century might look like. An evening for everyone who feels that things must change but refuses to give in to cynicism: about seeing clearly, acting with hope, and imagining a world that does not fracture us, but strengthens the whole.
tickets >>
about markus gabriel
Markus Gabriel (1980, Germany) is a philosopher and one of the most influential contemporary thinkers. As Germany’s youngest philosophy professor, he became widely known for his “New Realism,” which argues that we can indeed know the world—including its moral facts. His work explores questions of freedom, responsibility, and what it means to do good in a complex world.
His books, including Why the World Does Not Exist, The Meaning of Thought, and Humankind: A Hopeful History, are read around the globe. In his recent work, Gabriel applies his moral philosophy to the major challenges of our time, from economic inequality and climate change to the future of democracy.
practical info
Date: Thursday February 19, 2026
Time: 20:00 – 21:30, doors open at 19:30
Location: NDSM theater, Scheepsbouwkade 4-6, Amsterdam
Language: Engels
Standardticket: €24,50
Under30 ticket: €16,50
Supportticket: €29,50