Lecture series: Digital Democracy

What are the implications of digital technologies for contemporary democracies? What light and shadow do we see in digital democracies?
At the heart of current debates about the social implications of digital technologies is the fear that they will doom democracies as we know them. This view stands in stark contrast to the early days of computers and the Internet, when digital technologies promised to free people from hard labor, achieve free speech for all, enable better politics and government, and many other blessings. This series of events draws on the rich legacy of political theory to examine digital societies and their ambivalent relationship to democracy.

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The first series of events explores the glorious stories of democratic theory; the second series approaches the stories of democratic disaster and failure. All sessions take a plunge into democratic theory and into recent digital technologies and socio-technical trends.

Each lecture will have a keynote address followed by a discussion. First-year students will prepare short reflections. The lectures are open to faculty, students, and the general public and take place from 6.30 – 8 pm.