It might go unnoticed by tourists spending a pleasant weekend admiring the Sagrada Familia or meandering through Park Güell, but the sad truth is that Barcelona is a rather miserable place to be right now. The city is shrouded in a fog of depression, and for those living and working here it is all but impossible to avoid. The Crisis consumes daily life: turn on the TV, open a newspaper, chat with anyone between the ages of 18 and 40... the C-word is inescapable.

It would be hard to exaggerate the feeling of desperation – even doom – that pervades through many areas of Spain. The country now has the highest rate of unemployment in Europe, with figures hitting a record high of 22.9% last month and predicted to rise even further by the end of the year. Of the estimated 4.4 million adults without work, the majority fall into the under-25 age bracket. Almost half of young people are unemployed and most of those lucky enough to have secured a job are paid a pittance at best. Leaving school or university with little or no job prospects, many young people are literally fleeing the country; Spanish immigration to the UK, for example, rose by 85% in 2011. People feel aimless, powerless, and ultimately hopeless. It appears that the careers and the lives that they have saved for, studied for and struggled for, are now out of reach.

Of course, this sad state of affairs is old news: Spain’s situation has been dire for several years now and shows no signs of improving any time soon. It may seem that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, no silver lining – especially for the millions of people who are currently out of work. Yet any time of crisis can be a force for good, however small. The recession has forced us to reevaluate our society, a society that has put personal gain above collective welfare, that has encouraged growth over sustainability, and that has ultimately failed millions of people. It is now time to recreate and remould, to reconsider our lives and reexamine our values. While devastating for millions, the crisis could be seen as an opportunity to start anew and to reconsider what is really of significance.

Always in tune with the Zeitgeist, the CCCB has organized a series of lectures entitled Virtuts, Catalan for “virtues.” Delivered by both local and worldwide academics, each of these talks focuses on one of seven core values, some of which – Moderation, certainly, or Patience – may have declined in Western society over the course of the twentieth century. The first three sessions in the cycle took place last month, with Franco-Bulgarian philosopher Tzvetan Todorov discussing Moderation; historian and Fear: A Cultural History author Joanna Burke sharing her views on Strength; and anthropologist Claudio Lomnitz-Alder delivering a talk on Dignity. February will begin with Catalan journalist Salvador Cardús giving his take on Patience on the 6th, followed by a lecture on Justice by critical theorist Nancy Fraser on the 13th. Contemporary novelists António Lobo Antunes and Juan Marsé will then lead a debate on Honesty on February 20th, with a talk on Courage by Jacqueline Bhabha, Harvard law professor and expert in the fields of citizenship and refugee law, taking place a week later. On March 5th academic Josep M. Ruiz Simón will reflect upon Self-Esteem, before Hellenist historian Jaume Pòrtulas closes the cycle on March 12th with a talk on Wisdom.

Uniting some of the finest minds in contemporary philosophy, these seven lectures are bound to vary in terms of both content and political outlook, but will come together through the concept of collectivity. If we are to rebuild a new society from the rubble of individualism, it seems obvious that we must do so as a collective, favoring and upholding the values that will allow this. Bearing this in mind, the public are encouraged to share their views on this ethical crisis and the seven democratic values as defined by the speakers via twitter. Each week the CCCB will open an online debate, allowing anyone to give their opinions on each of these seven democratic virtues and their role in our collective future – follow @cececebe to have your say.

Stimulating and inspiring, the Virtuts cycle promises to provide not only intellectual food for thought, but also a rare positive spin on what is an undeniably dire situation. There may be nothing we can do to change the job market or even our personal situations, but we can change our outlook, both as individuals and as a society. If nothing else, the crisis has forced us look at our lives from different angles, to examine aspects of our society that may otherwise have gone overlooked by most. This may be little comfort to someone struggling with debt and unemployment... but it’s something.

cccb.org/en/curs_o_conferencia-virtudes-40047