The Seminar
Some of my favorite memories in life are from late-night debates in dorm rooms; from great conversations over lunch; or from those rare moments in the seminar room when a light suddenly went off in my head, ever-so-slightly altering my perception of the world.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how hard it is to cultivate this love of learning and conversation once you leave college. Life gets busy. Your close friends move away. Some other task always feels more pressing.
So, a few months ago, I had an idea: What if we build on the wonderful community that is growing around this Substack to create a space for this kind of intellectual exploration? A new way for all of us, from student to CEO, to read important texts and reflect on pressing questions together?
I’m calling it “The Seminar.”
Here’s the basics. Once a week, for four weeks, we meet for two hours to discuss exciting texts that grapple with an important topic. In this way, we explore some of the deepest and most urgent questions facing the world together. These aren’t impersonal lectures designed to be watched passively; rather, a small group of us will meet live, under my guidance but with everyone’s active participation.
For the next iteration, I decided to focus on one of the big debates of the moment: Is Democracy in Danger? The Causes and Consequences of Populism.
Over the past decade, a new breed of politicians, often called “populist,” has gained tremendous power across the world. In the United States, Donald Trump is now dispensing with longstanding political norms as he tries to enact his disruptive agenda. Are these changes as much of a danger to democratic institutions as many journalists and political scientists believe?
In this seminar, we try to answer this question. We read urgent warnings about the dangers of populism as well as studies suggesting that democratic institutions have proven more resilient than expected. We investigate competing theories about why populist candidates have become so much more successful over the last years and interrogate whether the term even helps to make sense of the world.
The goal is to gain a little orientation in disorienting times. Why has Western politics transformed so radically? What are the likely implications of these changes? And how should people who believe in the principles of liberal democracy respond?
There will be readings for each session, and we’ll proceed on the assumption that everyone has actually engaged with them, so we can have a high quality of discussion. But the readings will at most be 100 pages per week, and usually less than that.
I want to make this experience as accessible as possible. The standard rate for joining this live, small-group seminar is $500. If that’s beyond your budget, you can choose to pay the needs-based rate of $250. (I’m not going to ask you to share any financial information. Please just select the rate that is appropriate given your financial situation.)
The seminar will run on Zoom on Wednesdays in March (3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26) and there will be two groups: one from 12pm-2pm and one from 6-8pm EST. (I will stick around for an extra half an hour after each meeting to chat with participants and answer any questions they may have.)
Would you like to join—or gift participation in The Seminar to someone who would?
If that’s still beyond reach, we offer a limited number of full scholarships. Please fill out this form to be considered.
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions, just drop me a line by responding to this email.
See you soon in class,
Yascha