This course will begin by looking at the historical roots of liberalism and democracy in the West and how they merged closer together after 1945. We then examine the concept of the 'Open Society' and how this ideal ended up the victim of its own success, especially in central Europe after the Cold War. The worldwide growth of populism and authoritarianism in the past thirty years had prompted the publication of many books diagnosing the 'death of liberalism.' This course will examine both the threats to liberal democracy and its prospects for the future.
Suggested Reading: Anne Applebaum, Twilight of Democracy, 2020.
