Abstract
Democracy is currently facing profound challenges, driven by the rise of autocracy, the disruptive effects of digitalization and artificial intelligence, and the erosion of the public sphere and rational deliberation. These pressures are compounded by a growing mistrust in science and academic institutions, which has deepened misunderstandings about the role of the humanities in sustaining liberal democracy and open societies. This paper examines two key developments that have weakened the humanities’ capacity to foster public dialogue: first, the “cultural turn” and the rise of identity politics; second, the uncritical popularization of “critical thinking.” While both have fueled academic activism, they simultaneously often erode the foundations of humanist and enlightened citizenship. The analysis looks into selected cases of public disputes involving notions of power, biopolitics, and “the West”, and propose pathways to responsible academic engagement with “daily democracy”.
Presenters
Ksenija Vidmar HorvatProfessor, Sociology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Past and Present in the Humanistic Education
KEYWORDS
Democratic development, Crisis, Academic freedom, Critical thinking, Citizenship
