The aim of this seminar is to bring together historians, legal scholars, political scientists, art historians, literary, film and cultural studies scholars to discuss methods developed to prepare democracy to engage its enemies. We are interested not only in debates about the future of democracy that took place in the 1930s and 1940s, but in the 20th and 21st centuries more broadly. The term “enemies” should similarly be understood to encompass not only fascism and Stalinism, but also racial and sexual terrorism, authoritarian populism, and sectarian violence. Many of the ideas we are interested in first emerged in emigration or in a transatlantic context.

The seminar will be based on discussions of pre-circulated papers of no more than 4,000 words. Participants will also be asked to give five-minute presentations to kickstart discussions. We will distribute some theoretical readings that will serve as a common base for the seminar. Up to four auditors are welcome.

The concept of "militant democracy," like many other fruitful pro-democracy discourses of the 1930s and 1940s, was developed within the German-Jewish exile community, i,e. within an atmosphere of precarity. We are interested in supplementing this with voices from other marginalized communities, e.g. Thurgood Marshall’s writings in support of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Interested participants are asked to submit an abstract describing the nature of their contribution to the seminar (500 words max), as well as a short biography (300 words max). To apply, please access the portal through the conference website. The application period will close on March 3, 2023.

Please note that applicants must be members of the GSA for 2023; you can join or renew your membership through the GSA website: https://www.thegsa.org.