The Daniel C. Dennett Lecture in Culture and Technology 2026

Lifelong Learning and the Many Aims of Higher Education, presented by Professor Richard Pettigrew (University of Bristol), with a response from Dr Christoph Schuringa (Philosophy, NUL).

Abstract:

When academics try to identify the aims of higher education, they tend to emphasise a single central aim, and then appeal to that aim to justify something close to the current system, perhaps adapted a little to remove certain barriers to access.

In this lecture, I'll argue that higher education serves a great many aims, and many of those are central to individual lives and the broader life of the society in which we live. What’s more, I will argue that, once we identify those aims, we see that a much more radical conclusion follows. Our present system serves them rather poorly, and a system that serves them well must put lifelong learning at its centre. I will describe what such a system might look like.

The Daniel C. Dennett Lectures in Culture and Technology at NU London

In these annual lectures, world-leading experts explore philosophical topics at the intersection of humanities, natural and social sciences, technology, and public discourse. The lectures are representative of the kind of boundary-crossing, applied approach that characterised Daniel Dennett's life and career - and which is at the heart of the humanities at NU London. Aimed at the general public, the lectures are designed to bring the humanities into wider discussion, and require no prior knowledge of philosophy or any other discipline. The 2025 lecture was delivered by Mazviita Chirimuuta (Edinburgh).

Date: 19/02/2026

Time: 18:00 - 20:30

Location: Devon House, Room 224/226 & Online