Bosch Lecture in Public Policy

Populism and the Pursuit of Dignity

As demonstrated by Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, even the most steadfast democracies are not immune to the lures of populist movements. In this talk, Dilip Gaonkar explores the resurgence of populism across the globe in the twenty-first century, covering a wide range of political and ideological positions, from progressive to conservative. He will also address the dismissive reactions that proponents of liberal democracy have when confronted with resurgent populisms, both historically and today. The view that populism is “mere rhetoric,” exclusionary, and bereft of social content, he contends, is both reactive and unproductive. Gaonkar argues instead that all populist movements invariably draw their normative force from the egalitarian impulse for equity and dignity.

In cooperation with Museum THE KENNEDYS and Berlin Science Week.