Overview

🕘 Schedule: Doors 18:30 → Talk 19:00 → Q&A → Mingle

🌐 Language: English

What if the idea of “finding your true self” is not the solution to modern confusion, but part of the problem?

We live in a culture obsessed with authenticity. We are told to discover who we really are, follow our passion, build a life that feels “aligned,” and become the most honest version of ourselves. But where did this idea come from? And why does the search for the self so often lead not to freedom, but to anxiety, isolation, and endless self-optimization?

In this talk, philosopher Miguel Estéfano Mora Vera takes us through the genealogy of modern subjectivity: from the collapse of older social orders to the rise of liberal capitalism, fragmented consumer identities, and the contemporary pressure to turn the self into a project.

Drawing on existential philosophy, phenomenology, critical theory, and mystical traditions, he will question one of the most powerful myths of our time: that fulfillment comes from finally discovering who we truly are. What if the “true self” is a mirage? What if the deepest freedom begins not with finding the self, but with seeing through it?

This is not a self-help talk about becoming your best version. It is a philosophical exploration of authenticity, nihilism, consumer culture, and the possibility of living beyond the constant demand to define ourselves.

What we'll cover:

• Why has “being your true self” become such a powerful modern ideal?
• How did the collapse of older social structures shape modern subjectivity?
• What is nihilism and why does it still structure the way we search for meaning?
• How does consumer culture sell us identities disguised as authenticity?
• Why might the pursuit of the “true self” keep us trapped in the very thing we are trying to escape?
• What do existential philosophy and critical theory reveal about freedom, alienation, and selfhood?
• What can mystical traditions teach us about selflessness, fulfillment, and letting go of the self?

Speaker

Dr. Miguel Estéfano Mora Vera

Philosopher, musician, and composer

Miguel Estéfano Mora Vera is a philosopher whose work explores existential philosophy, modern subjectivity, nihilism, and the human search for meaning. He earned his PhD from the University of Freiburg, specializing in the existential legacies of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Heidegger.

His thinking brings together Western and Eastern perspectives, moving between phenomenology, critical theory, spirituality, and questions of the modern human condition. In his work, he examines how ideas of selfhood, authenticity, reality, and fulfillment have been shaped, and how they might be questioned.

Alongside his philosophical work, Miguel is also an active musician and composer under the project Santofuego, where he sees creative practice as an extension of philosophical inquiry.

Location