The problem of demagogues and tyrants is as old as political life.  Politics today has seen a resurgence of the phenomenon of the populist demagogue who claims to speak for the people – the charismatic leader — on both the left and the right. But what is a demagogue and what is the source of their authority?  These questions are at the core of Abraham Lincoln’s speech “On the Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions” given at the Young Men’s Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois on the evening of January 27, 1838 when the author was just a few weeks short of his twenty-ninth birthday.  Lincoln here raises the problem of the aspiring tyrant but who exactly is he referring to and what is he afraid of?  Among other themes we will consider from this first great speech of Lincoln’s are the relation of later generations to the American founding, the fragility of law, the role of religion in maintaining political institutions, and the loss of historical memory.

This seminar is offered online by EverScholar.  In order to encourage an optimal discussion experience, enrollment is limited to 15 persons.  However, the seminar is also offered at one other time, also with Professor Smith.  Register for the session that you are certain you can attend.

Our Professor: Steven B. Smith, Alfred Cowles Professor of Government and Philosophy, Yale University

Professor Smith has taught at Yale since 1984. He has served as Director of Graduate Studies in Political Science, Director of the Special Program in the Humanities, and Acting Chair of Judaic Studies and from 1996-2011 served as the Master of Branford College. His research has focused on the history of political philosophy with special attention to the problem of the ancients and moderns, the relation of religion and politics, and theories of representative government.

His best known publications include Hegel’s Critique of Liberalism (1989), Spinoza, Liberalism, and Jewish Identity (1997), Spinoza’s Book of Life (2003), Reading Leo Strauss (2006), and The Cambridge Companion to Leo Strauss (2009) and Political Philosophy (2012). His newly released book, Modernity and its Discontents, is now available. He is also the Co-Director of Yale’s Center for the Study of Representative Institutions (YSCRI) that focuses on the theory and practice of representative government in the Anglo-American world.  He is also the editor of The Writings of Abraham Lincoln.

He has received several academic awards and prizes including the Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize given by Phi Beta Kappa, but is most proud of receiving the Lex Hixon ‘63 Prize for Teaching Excellence in the Social Sciences in 2009. He is a die-hard Yankees fan and hopes to be able to play for the team in the next life.  He has taught EverScholar participants on several occasions in the past – and is also a lead professor in the October, 2020 course, “Montaigne and The Art of Living.”  Professor Smith sits on the EverScholar Advisory Board and participates actively in its year-round discussion group.

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