This interview was originally published on Princeton University Press. How can today’s liberal democracies withstand the illiberal wave sweeping the globe? What can revive our waning faith in constitutional democracy? Tocqueville’s Dilemmas, and Ours argues that Alexis de Tocqueville, one of democracy’s greatest champions and most incisive critics, can guide us forward. Drawing on Tocqueville’s major works and
TagDemocracy
Brazil: A Personal Glimpse into Bolsonaro’s Defeat
Tuesday, November 1st, 2022. Nearly forty-eight hours after the result of the Brazilian presidential elections announced Bolsonaro’s loss, he speaks for the first time. After his earlier threats that he wouldn’t go down easily in an attempt to disparage the Brazilian electoral system, small groups of his supporters have taken to roads. Small groups of
#EleNão #ErNicht #NotHim: A Brazilian Woman’s Rage Against the “Brazilian Hitler”
49,275,358 votes. That’s 46,03% of the population who voted on October 7th in favor of racism, misogyny and homophobia. 49,275,358 people who declared they support a candidate that idolizes the Nazi regime, who explicitly says he wishes to bring back the military dictatorship, that he would never employ men and women with the same salary
Democracy and Tyranny in the City and the Soul
This article originally appeared on Public Seminar and has been republished here with their kind permission. Earlier this week, and in advance of the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, Andrew Sullivan produced a video for BBC Newsnight, detailing how the election campaign and Trump’s success reminded him of Socrates’ account
[Kulturbahn #26] December 5th – December 11th
► Monday: Medieval Christmas Market Imagine a gate opening in the art, culture and clubs hub of Friedrichshain to transport you to the medieval ages. In this historical Christmas market, you won’t find the usual kitsch; you’ll find everything from live medieval performances in music, acrobatics, and a fire-show, to unique handicrafts, and a tavern
Discussing Dialogues: Why Plato wrote them, and why we read them
I am surprised that it took me this long to figure out just who exactly this “Plato” guy was. Growing up, I heard the names “Plato”, “Socrates”, and “Aristotle” often, usually in relation to one another, but did not understand what these names contributed to Western philosophy and science. Until recently, the mention of one
Manifest Destiny, or Simply, Cause and Effect, Cause and Effect, Cause and…
I think I must have been holding some brightly colored toy. I remember the flash of color falling from my hands to the ground as my mother’s bloodcurdling scream reached my ears. I ran into the house to see what had happened. My aunt, uncles, grandmother and mother stood crowding around the TV screen. They
Is it possible to hate freedom?: On anti-revolutionary sentiments in Syria
In our liberal age, the notion of freedom is sacred. Arguing the opposite amounts to liberal heresy. The so-called ‘Arab Spring’ as depicted by the media affirms the universal sanctity of freedom. Didn’t “Arabs” sacrifice their lives for freedom’s sake after all? Maybe. The media did not depict the illiberal version of the story. In