What does it mean to live in an era filled with turbulence, polarization and radical upheaval? The Folk University and intellectual historian Mikkel Thorup invites you to a series of philosophical evening lectures at Kulturbodega Bellis, where we explore classical thought to gain perspective on current crises. Each evening pairs a pressing contemporary question with an important text from an earlier period of upheaval – from Kant and Marx to Orwell and Freud.
This lecture focuses on American conspiracy theories and their growing influence on European politics. The starting point is Richard Hofstadter's classic essay The Paranoid Style in American Politics from 1964, which analyzes the mistrust and conspiratorial thinking that have historically characterized American political movements. Today we see this American paranoid style being imported into Danish and European political discourse – at an alarming pace. Mikkel Thorup explores what it means when mistrust and conspiratorial thinking become common tools in political debate.
The event is part of an ongoing series held every Tuesday from week 43 through mid-December (except November 24). Here you will have the opportunity to ask sharp questions, hear nuanced analysis and participate in shared reflection – all in a cozy setting with a beer or another drink in hand.
