Uploaded May 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The 2020 Berlin Family Lectures with Danielle Allen
"Democracy in the Time of Coronavirus"
Lecture one: "Bulwark of Democracy—Solidarity and Democratic Resilience in Times of Emergency"
May 12, 2020
Existential emergencies pose a distinct kind of challenge to democracies, which often move more slowly in response than autocratic regimes. The moment we are living in provides a good opportunity to return to the perennial question of what a democracy needs in order to prove its worth even in times of emergency.
This is the first lecture in a four-lecture series presented in the spring of 2020 at the University of Chicago.
Named for Randy L. and Melvin R. Berlin, the Berlin Family Lectures bring leading scholars, writers, and creative artists from around the world to the University of Chicago. Each visitor offers an extended series of lectures with the aim of interacting with the university community and developing a book for publication with the University of Chicago Press. Learn more at http://berlinfamilylectures.uchicago.edu.
If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to humanities@uchicago.edu.
The 2020 Berlin Family Lectures with Danielle Allen
"Democracy in the Time of Coronavirus"
Lecture one: "Bulwark of Democracy—Solidarity and Democratic Resilience in Times of Emergency"
May 12, 2020
Existential emergencies pose a distinct kind of challenge to democracies, which often move more slowly in response than autocratic regimes. The moment we are living in provides a good opportunity to return to the perennial question of what a democracy needs in order to prove its worth even in times of emergency.
This is the first lecture in a four-lecture series presented in the spring of 2020 at the University of Chicago.
Named for Randy L. and Melvin R. Berlin, the Berlin Family Lectures bring leading scholars, writers, and creative artists from around the world to the University of Chicago. Each visitor offers an extended series of lectures with the aim of interacting with the university community and developing a book for publication with the University of Chicago Press. Learn more at http://berlinfamilylectures.uchicago.edu.
If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to humanities@uchicago.edu.
