Annual Edmund Burke Lecture 2022 — Michael Ignatieff

Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian writer, historian, former politician, and a renowned international commentator on democracy, civil liberty, and human rights. In the 2022 Edmund Burke lecture, he will engage with Burke’s writings in order to consider the legacy and implications of revolutionary violence for democracy. He writes:

‘All democracies born of revolution—France, America, and Ireland, for example—have to find ways to reckon with their revolutionary origins, and with the violence that attended their birth. Since revolutions empower the people to rise up in defence of their rights, revolutionary origins can continue to inspire succeeding generations to defend theirs, but they can also pose a continuing challenge to the stability of democratic institutions. Edmund Burke’s reflections on the revolutions of 1688 in Britain, the American Revolution of 1776, and the French Revolution of 1789 can help us understand how contemporary democracies should handle the often combustible heritage of revolutionary origins.’

Please indicate if you have any access requirements, such as ISL/English interpreting, so that we can facilitate you in attending this event. Contact: rmackenz@tcd.ie