At this contemporary moment, the headwinds of global capitalism and populist movements across political spectrums and social strata threaten our collective notions of democratic ideals and social safety nets. What is the role of space in mediating the lines of demarcation between democracy and fascism, participatory governance and authoritarian rule? Architecture, civic space, space of assembly and many other interests are put in play by rethinking notions of democracy, aesthetics and place as carriers of formal and informal messages. “Fascism, Aesthetics & Politics,” a conversation between Jason Stanley and USC Architecture Dean Milton S. F. Curry, will shed new light on the topic of fascism from the vantage points of political philosophy, architecture and urbanism. A reception and book signing in Harris Hall will immediately follow the talk.

Jason Stanley is the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University. Before coming to Yale in 2013, he was Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Rutgers University. Stanley is the author of the recently released How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them; Know How; Languages in Context; Knowledge and Practical Interests, which won the 2007 American Philosophical Association book prize; and How Propaganda Works, which won the 2016 PROSE Award for Philosophy from the Association of American Publishers. His first book, Knowledge and Practical Interests, won the American Philosophical Association Book Prize, awarded to one philosopher every year, for 2005-6. He is a frequent contributor The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Review and The Chronicle of Higher Education, among other publications. Stanley lives in New Haven, Connecticut, with his family. (Photo credit: Edwin Tse)