Ethos: Is it still a thing? An Intergenerational Fishbowl Conversation by SNF Dialogues in collaboration with the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University

According to ChatGPT, “ethos” (“ήθος”) is a rhetorical concept, introduced by Aristotle, that refers to the credibility, character, and ethical appeal of a speaker, representing trustworthiness, expertise, and moral integrity. The Greek “ethos” speaks to the moral compass that guides how we live; with ourselves, with others, and within the systems we’re part of.

This intergenerational dialogue invites a broad and timely conversation: Is ethos something still relevant today? Is it a significant parameter on the way we build modern societies or engage ourselves within them? From education to media, and from science to how we engage with emerging technologies, ethos runs through it all. Is it still central to how we understand ourselves as human beings and citizens? And if so, what does it ask of us now, individually and collectively, across generations and geographies?

Together, we’ll explore the values, capacities, and choices that can help shape cultures of mutual responsibility, care, and democratic resilience - drawing from the lived experiences of both younger and older generations alike.

SNF Dialogues Initiative invited the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue (Simon Fraser University, Canada) to design and facilitate this large-group, interactive session. This dialogue, featuring among others the voices of the Nostos Youth Advisory Committee, is an opportunity to imagine the future, with the participation of both speakers and audience.

This is not a presentation or panel discussion. Rather, the session invites people of all ages into a metaphoric fishbowl to join in the conversation. It will rely on a set of facilitation techniques known globally as Deep Democracy. Developed in post-apartheid South Africa, Deep Democracy tools help participants move beyond soundbites and surface-level arguments to explore deeper worldviews. It hinges on the idea that there is richness in differences of opinion, allowing groups to arrive at new insights that may guide their actions.