In 1949, at the Aspen Institute’s first convening, it was said: “We come here to undeceive and fortify ourselves.” Our founders looked squarely at the pressing issues of the day. The 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival will commemorate the Aspen Institute’s 75th anniversary and honor its enduring commitment to a humanistic worldview, exploring questions both timely and timeless.
Through this lens, the Festival will explore seven program tracks, with contributions from the Aspen Ideas Festival 2025 Guest Curator — celebrated journalist and bestselling author Fareed Zakaria. Fareed’s expertise aligns with the Festival’s tradition of gathering people from myriad backgrounds and beliefs to foster mutual understanding through big ideas and bold conversations.
Breakthroughs
Innovation is moving at warp speed, driven by visionaries in all fields and from all walks of life. What are the great breakthroughs transforming our world—from genomics to space exploration and from art to artificial intelligence? How do the most exciting discoveries expand our imagination and challenge the boundaries between humanity and technology?
Design of the Times
Design is shaped by the past, drives the present, and reimagines the future. In an era of innovation and breakthroughs in technology, how does the power of design inspire, transform and shape the future of our lives?
Prosperity Reimagined
As we navigate the challenges of an evolving world, what does true prosperity look like? What are the new ideas for fostering economic and moral flourishing?
The Good Life
Human beings have always strived for meaning and purpose. How do we steer through life’s uncertainties, difficulties and delights in ways that foster both a life well lived and a good society?
The Just Society
Aristotle wrote that “justice is the bond of people in states” and “the administration of justice … is the principle of order in political society.” What institutions are best positioned to help us sustain a just society today? Can our current institutions support a just society or do they need to be buttressed? Should new ones be created?
The Global Contract
In the wake of two world wars and the Great Depression, the international community sought to facilitate global cooperation by establishing the United Nations. The Aspen Institute’s founders shared this vision of global understanding and cooperation. Seventy-five years later, what does it look like today and what more can and should be done?
Planet in Transition
Our planet is undergoing transformation, prompting us to seek solutions that both protect the environment and ensure wide access to the clean energy needed for countries and communities to thrive. How do we chart the path forward to prosper on a changing planet?