[Catalyst Talk] Erica Benner: Political Failure Is On Adults

When
07/11/2024
5:15 PM - 6:15 PM
Location
Full Circle House, 89 Ch. de Vleurgat, 1050 Ixelles

Registration

Students (aged 14-19yrs old) – €5.00
This is a voluntary participation fee. You can pay online or at the door. However it should not be a barrier to joining, so please feel free to come without paying if it's easier for you.

Registration is closed

Political Failure is on Adults

A talk with Erica Benner

Catalyst / Thurs 7th Nov / 5:15 - 6:15 pm

(Doors open 5.00pm. Speaker starts at 5.30pm)

Today, millions of people want freedom from strict governments, but many wonder if democracy is the best choice. Even in democratic countries, some people doubt it. They ask: if so many people disagree and argue, how can democracy solve the big issues we face?

Democracies aren’t perfect and often need improvement. But when they do, shouldn’t we—the people—think about how we can make it better? Democracy is a living system, and Erica Benner has spent years studying how regular citizens help keep it strong.

In her talk, Erica explores the history of democracy, from ancient Rome to the French Revolution, and what it means for our world today.

ABOUT

Erica Benner is a political philosopher who has taught for many years at Oxford University, the London School of Economics and Yale. Erica was born in Japan and currently lives in Berlin. She has written books on nationalism, Marx, and Machiavelli, and is interested in what classical writers can teach us about how to deal with politics today. Among her works, Be Like the Fox was selected as one of the Guardian's Best Books of 2017 and shortlisted for the 2018 Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography.

GOOD READS

Adventures In Democracy, The turbulent world of people power (2024); Be Like The Fox, Machiavelli's lifelong quest for freedom (2017); Machiavelli's Prince: A New Reading (2013); Machiavelli's Ethics (2009); Really Existing Nationalisms (1995).

KEY LINKS

Erica's website