Democracy, liberalism, capitalism: the triad unravelling

BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the laying down of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics, while considering Britain as its own small island with its own set of political traditions.

Democracy, liberalism and capitalism have represented the foundation and cornerstones of the modern Western world and until now have directed its world order. Yet, the threads of this coherent fabric, woven by threads of certainty, universality and a clockwork world, are beginning to unravel at an ever increasing rate of knots.This unravelling is met with astonishment and anguish in equal measure, but the only solutions offered relate to doubling down by doing ever more of the same. All this will achieve is to speed up the demise of the triad.

Instead, says Andreas Wasmuht, it is vital to look afresh at the threads of certainty, universality and a clockwork world and realise that these only represent special cases in which complexity, diversity and open ecosystems are the normal order of the day. We will need to come to terms with a world that is complex and unpredictable and understand how to act differently in order to be effective and challenge the prevailing worldview.

Andreas Wasmuht, BRLSI & University of Bath

To learn more about Democracy Under Threat and the exciting range of speakers coming up as part of the programme, don’t forget to follow our Democracy Under Threat Webpage: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/

A discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series, excluding the conference on the 4th of July.