Democracy is in retreat, authoritarianism on the rise. But this has happened before. So how did big thinkers of the past respond to the threats to democracy, and what can we learn from them?

The Humanities Research Centre 50th Anniversary Distinguished Lecture was recorded at the Australian National University on 31 July 2024.

Speakers

Scott Stephens Co-presenter (with Waleed Aly) The MinefieldDigital editor, ABC Religion and EthicsCo-author of Quarterly Essay 87, Uncivil Wars: How Contempt is Corroding Democracy (2022)Editor of Justice and Hope: Essays, Lectures and Other Writings by Raimond Gaita (2023)

Dr Kim Huynh Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Deputy Director of the Humanities Research Centre