The Myth of the Rational Hero - From the Traditional Conception of the Liberal Self to Liberalism's Self-Destruction

Modern society often prides itself on breaking free from the grip of ancient religious and mythological narratives. We celebrate scientific thought as a triumph of our era, believing it offers a clear, true, and rational view of the world - one that casts aside outdated, mystical ideas for hard, material facts.

But is that really the case? In this talk, Nuno Lebreiro explores a provocative alternative: at the heart of modern liberal philosophy and politics lies a powerful myth—the myth of the rational hero. This myth is all the more potent because it hides in plain sight, cloaked in the guise of scientific and rational truth.

Drawing from Western philosophy, modern political thought, and analytical psychology, Nuno Lebreiro will uncover an inconvenient truth: by failing to recognize the mythological roots of the liberal project, we risk undermining the very freedoms it once championed.

Key points:

• The psychological structure of the archetype of the hero
• From Plato to Kant: How Western rationalism embraces the myth of the rational hero
• Rawls and his Original Position: The triumph of the myth of the rational hero in contemporary political liberalism
• The dark side of rationalism: pseudo-scientific truth versus true open dialogue
• Conclusion: how illiberal can liberalism become?

Featured participants:

• Nuno Lebreiro, Journalist; Philosopher, Researcher, KU Leuven
• Hugo Martin, Visiting Fellow, Danube Institute
• Stefano Arroque, Visiting Fellow, Danube Institute

Moderator:

• Eric Hendriks, Visiting Fellow, Danube Institute

Biography

Nuno Lebreiro holds a BA degree in Policial Science, a Master’s degree in Political Philosophy (MA) from the University of Leiden, in the Netherlands, and also a Magna Cum Laude Research Master in Metaphysics and Philosophy of Culture (MPhil) from the Catholic University of Leuven, in Belgium (KU Leuven). Nuno currently lives in Brussels pursuing his research as a PhD student in Philosophy; also at KU Leuven, focusing on the link between metaphysical interpretations of the world and the way they influence and justify political theories, in particular, contemporary political liberalism. In Portugal, he wrote a weekly column for Novo Seminário between 2021 and 2022 and now writes fortnightly for the newspaper Observador. Nuno is also, since 2014, a permanent member and editor-publisher of the podcast Linhas Direitas. In 2023, together with other authors, he published the book Polarização: Ensaios em História, Filosofia e Teoria Política (Transl: Polarization: Essays on History, Philosophy and Political Theory). He is married and the father of four children.

Details:

Date: June 17, 2025, 5:30pm
On-site registration: 5pm
Venue: Lónyay-Hatvany Villa, 1 Csónak Street, 1015 Budapest
(Entrance: Aranybástya Restaurant)
Language: English

Participation is free; however, due to limited seating, pre-registration is required by clicking the button below.