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Our story began on a campsite somewhere in the Sauerland. Berliners Felix and Torben met by chance at a liberal summer camp. A few hours around the campfire and a few beers later, the plan was clear: Berlin must finally be free! Felix had already founded the Berlin Center For Individualist Thought and Torben had spent a few years in political Berlin. Together they wanted to found a think tank that would not talk about freedom in theory, but live it. The idea for the EGO Institute was born.
Freedom is not fought for in parliaments, freedom begins in the mind of every human being. Freedom comes from the self-confidence of being able to shape your own life. Freedom is a lifestyle, rebellious but also responsible. EGO Institute shows you through campaigns, practical workshops and philosophy crash courses how you can live freedom.
Individualism is the prerequisite for freedom. Only the individual can feel, think and act. There are no collective thoughts, actions or responsibilities. Only the individual decides. Therefore, the individual should also have the freedom to make decisions. Collectives, like the state, shouldn’t rule your life.
You’ve probably already noticed, we think freedom is pretty awesome . By far the most important human value is freedom. Because all other values, no matter what they look like individually, can only be lived out in freedom. It allows us to think, speak and act freely. It touches all aspects of our lives; undisturbed, peaceful action among individuals in markets and peaceful action in the social sphere. Anyone who wants to separate social and economic freedom has not understood them. Unfortunately, bondage lurks everywhere. But don’t worry, we’re working on it.
When people are free, they can develop themselves. They specialize and do what they do best and what makes them happiest. Specialization and the free market have made societies rich. However, many people do not know how to realize themselves. This is where we want to help.
Freedom has many issues. We write about it in international media.
President & Executive Director
Felix has already founded several companies, for-profit and non-profit. After studying at the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, he went to Berlin and saw a city that was falling short of its potential. There is a lack of understanding of freedom. From 7 years of commitment to freedom (among others with Students For Liberty) he knows that one has to inspire individuals for freedom in order to live in good society in the long term. Felix focuses on the liberal philosophy, entrepreneurship and the little tricks to think and live freely. In addition to his work at the EGO Institute, Felix works as an independent management consultant.
Chief Strategy Officer
Torben studied biology at ETH Zurich before his work as a non-fiction author brought him into politics. In his book “The True Life of Trees” (2017), he scientifically opposes the humanization of trees that is widespread in eco-circles and thus defends the intensive economic use of nature. In “Freedom Without Free Will” (2020) he uses thermodynamics and information theory to work out that individual environment is crucial for human freedom. And that state intervention de-individualizes our surroundings – and thus us. That’s why he came to EGO to increase freedom and individuality in Germany.
