Prior to the Covid 19 pandemic, the issue on everyone’s minds was climate change. Scientists have been raising the alarm for the good part of three decades, but politicians the world over have been slow to react, even as more citizens have been calling for radical action. In this episode, we're joined by Michael Ignatieff (Central European University) to find out whether liberal democracy is up for the fight against climate change, and whether that fight could affect the political system itself.

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:

• The Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna: IWM

• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD

• The Excellence Chair and Soft Authoritarianism Research Group in Bremen: WOC

• The Podcast Company Earshot Strategies

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• Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna: @IWM_Vienna

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Liberalism in the Anthropocene. (2020).

• The Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World. (2018).

GLOSSARY

What is the Anthropocene?

(00:01:30 or p. 2 in the transcript)

The Anthropocene describes the most recent epoch in Earth’s history, in which human action has the most significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems. Source.

What is Earth Day?

(00:05:30 or p. 4 in the transcript)

Earth Day is celebrated annually around the world on April 22nd and is coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network. The first Earth Day in 1970, very much still focused on the United States, was coordinated as a nationwide environmental teach-in. In 1990 Earth Day moved to be an international endeavor. The Paris Climate Agreement was signed on Earth Day 22nd April 2016. Learn more.

What does dirigiste mean?

(00:06:30 or p. 5 in the transcript)

It denotes a governing system in which the state exerts large control over the country’s economy. Source.

What is the Paris Agreement?

(00:14:00 or p. 9 in the transcript)

The Paris Agreement is an international treaty on climate change with the goal to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century. It is the first time an international treaty with binding commitments was signed and adopted by consensus by 190 member countries of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). It was signed on Earth Day April 22nd, 2016. Under the Trump presidency the United States, a major advocate of the initial signing, withdrew from the agreement in late 2020, only for the Biden Administration to rejoin after its Inauguration in January 2021. Click here to learn more.

What does Après moi, le déluge mean?

(00:23:30 or p. 15 in the transcript)

The expression Après moi, le déluge, meaning ‘After me, the deluge’, is attributed to Louis XV of France (1710-74), whose rule contributed to the outbreak of the French Revolution and describes a certain nihilistic and selfish stance, where what happens in the future does not matter, as oneself is gone by that time anyways. Learn more.