Battle of Ideas: an annual festival of social, political, scientific, academic and cultural

Welcome to the Battle of Ideas

You have arrived at the Battle of Ideas website for the 2005 and 2006 festivals. For current and future festivals, visit the new Battle of Ideas website or use the navigation here to get a flavour of past events.

The Battle of Ideas is an annual festival of debate produced by the Institute of Ideas. Launched in 2005, the annual festival has been an enormous success with high-profile speakers, cutting edge topics and packed out rooms.

The fourth Battle of Ideas will take place on 1 & 2 November at London's Royal College of Art.

Press releases

Leading academic warns against turning universities into another ‘battlefield in the war against terrorism’
Professor Frank Furedi, the leading social and cultural commentator, has warned that UK education has become ‘subservient to a paternalistic political agenda’ and that this has resulted in an intellectual climate of ‘officially sanctioned philistinism’. more...

UK festival set for big name bust-ups
With nearly 200 heavyweight speakers from the world of politics, business, media and academia, the Battle of Ideas festival promises more trenchant debate than Westminster has seen in years. more...

Notice Board

Read the Battle of Ideas 2006 essay
Read Dolan Cummings thoughts on the Battle of Ideas 2006 in his essay Let Battle Commence more...

2006 Satellite Events: Port Talks
In the run up to the festival, three leading speakers in their field will give talks on some of the cutting edge issues to be debated at Battle of Ideas, at Goodenough College more...