Are we right, as citizens, to conclude that our democratic systems are in genuine danger of collapse, or is there instead a requirement to revise democratic practices in the face of a rising number of external phenomena, such as increasing digitisation and the use of Artificial Intelligence?
The ending of the old World Order! The breakdown of globalisation! Culture wars! Extremist fringes taking over the mainstream! What isn’t there to worry about? But could the solutions be hiding in plain sight? A new series at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution attempts to reframe Democracy in light of the global issues we face today.
BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock by surveying the wealth of history and political thinking which underpins our long-held democratic systems and institutions. It explores the development of democratic principles from Ancient Athens to the present day, and takes in current scenarios in international geopolitics, while considering Britain as a small island with its own set of political traditions.
Democracy Under Threat endeavours to get to the very roots of the principles and practices that have shaped democracies until now and dares to ask some rather big questions: What does genuine democracy actually look like? If voters are apathy-stricken, are there meaningful alternatives? Is free speech non-negotiable? Should we extend voting rights? What works better – Direct or Representative Democracy?
The programme kicks off in June with Pollster and Political Scientist John Curtice, and following close behind, on July 4th, BRLSI will be hosting an all-day conference. Here you can get to experience great speakers and exchange thoughts with fellow attendees over lunch. At the close of play, a panel which includes Wera Hobhouse, Member of Parliament for Bath, will discuss the issues which have come up throughout the course of the conference.
And that’s just the beginning! Throughout the season, a host of first-class speakers, including Philosopher A.C Grayling, U.S.-based Political Scientists Paul D’Anieri and Rajan Menon, and Sir Stewart Eldon, the UK’s former Permanent Representative to NATO, will be invited to bring their unique assessment on how best to rebuild trust in the body politic. Former BBC journalist turned psychotherapist Daniel Jeffreys (who has interviewed Donald Trump twice) will be extending his therapeutic lens onto the MAGA movement.
All talks in the series can be attended at BRLSI’s base in Queen Square, Bath or livestreamed from home, and audience members will also be given the chance to participate in a live Q&A at the end of each talk. In addition, throughout the series, BRLSI will be running a series of live polls relating to each of the topics under discussion. A discount of 20% is on offer to all those purchasing five tickets or more from the series, excluding the conference on the 4th of July.
BRLSI look forward to exploring with you both how Democracy has evolved over the course of the last two thousand years and has proven resilient despite many changes to the way it is organised and the many unsuccessful attempts to undermine it.
To book tickets: https://www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat/
Title: Democracy Under Threat Talks Series
Format: Talks Series
Date: June -December 2026
Price: £4-£10
Booking Link:
