Jason Stanley

“Who controls the past controls the future” – George Orwell’s thought has an oppressive topicality. Jason Stanley shows how authoritarian movements around the world are attempting to rewrite history in order to undermine democratic achievements. He analyses how historical narratives are instrumentalized to secure power, delegitimize criticism and distort political realities. Education and memory, Stanley argues, are not neutral spaces – they are central arenas in the struggle for democracy and freedom. Falsified History is an urgent appeal not to abandon the past – because it is a prerequisite for an open future.

Jason Stanley is a philosopher and professor at the University of Toronto and the Kyiv School of Economics. As the author of widely acclaimed books, he writes regularly for international media on authoritarianism, democracy and freedom of expression.

Language: English

In the series Schlaglicht USA – Democracy under pressure
250 years of American democracy – and at the same time a political change of course with global consequences: Schlaglicht USA analyzes how the political balance of power is shifting in President Trump’s second term and what security and economic policy consequences “America First” has for transatlantic relations In this series, influential voices from politics, science, law and culture discuss what freedom, justice and democracy mean in the 21st century.