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
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Reflections on the “Anthropocene” – A Discussion with Prof. Laura López – Part Two
This is the second piece in a two-part series. Click here to read Part 1. Laura nodded her head and began to respond… “I was surprised about the pessimism of your generation. Dorothea [von Hantelmann] asked me what I thought about the class, and I said, wow, I’ve never had a class of students of
Hands in Charcoal: Lifting the Veil of Art Garage
Piles of thick books with key texts in world philosophical thought, numerous handouts with colorful underscores, essay drafts and Berlin event guides are a common decoration of the ECLA of Bard student’s writing desk. Since our education requires reading numerous primary sources and extensive writing, one may hear I have so much reading to do/essays
Career Evening Series: Graduate and Postgraduate Education in Germany and the U.S.
On March 7th, ECLA of Bard hosted a “Career Evening” aimed to give BA graduates information on MA and PhD programs. Together with our Dean Catherine Toal, who was the main speaker of the evening, several faculty members – Marcela Perett, James Harker, Frank Ruda, and Laura Scuriatti – came to answer students’ questions and
Sophie’s Choice: The Agonizing Process to Find the Perfect Course
At the close of every school term, students brood over next semester’s course selections. Evermore the neurotic endeavor, the success or failure of the upcoming term hinges upon striking a careful balance of the right classes. Navigating the process tests one’s wisdom, intuition, and tenacity. This whole drama is explicitly acted out in the cafeteria,
David Levine: Authenticity, Appropriation and Genius
In the Spring term of 2012, artist and faculty at ECLA David Levine has been teaching the Art & Aesthetics concentration seminar titled: Authenticity, Appropriation and Genius. I have asked David Levine about the experience of teaching this new theoretical course, and about the boundary between art and teaching. Aurelia Cojocaru: Usually at ECLA you
Frank Ruda on Hegel and Marx – From Abstraction to Alienation to Universalism
The BA2 Core Course for the spring term, on the topic of ‘Property’, co-taught by faculty members Catherine Toal and Michael Weinman, commenced on the 16th of April with two guest seminars from Frank Ruda, Visiting Lecturer at the Institute of Philosophy, Scientific Research Centre in Ljubljana, Research Associate in Philosophy at the Free University
Bruno Macaes: Democratize the economy!
On February 1st, ECLA Professor Bruno Macaes led the first winter term meeting of the Politics Club regarding the Eurozone crisis. Bruno is currently a senior policy adviser to Portugal’s Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho and is on leave from his teaching duties at ECLA. Bruno’s firsthand account of the inner workings of Portuguese politics