Democracy

[close] “Sustaining Democracy” is a book club sponsored by the Jefferson Center in Core Texts and Ideas. It provides UT Austin students a space in which to read and discuss key thinkers and texts, both canonical and contemporary, that lay the foundations for democratic and ethical governance. Readings will highlight the specific ways that ethical and democratic governance is undermined by authoritarianism, tribalism, and political corruption. This Goodreads group is for both UT and non-UT students who would like to follow along in our readings and discussion (see discussions). "Sustaining Democracy" book club meetings are open to the UT Austin community. For information on this Goodreads group, or to learn more about the book club, please contact Prof. Hina Azam at hina.azam@austin.utexas.edu.

[close] Bring a friend (or two!) to connect with like-minded neighbors, share ideas, and dive into engaging reads on topics ranging from Wisconsin’s political history to connecting across differences. Topics: politics, social justice, storytelling/communication, activism, democracy, or books that help us have hope for the future.

[close] The group has two main objectives. First, denounce cases of censorship in the online publishing industry, in particular regarding textual fiction. Second, influence the society, publishers, and lawyers, in order to get rid of any form of censorship on imagination. We pay attention to any kind of violation of freedom of expression in fiction, such as on political views or on sex descriptions. This is an open group, and you can contribute by sharing information, opinions, links, etc. You can also invite other people to join the group.

[close] Study and discussion of the important questions of ethical and political philosophy from Confucius and Socrates to the present. Rules (see also the Rules and Housekeeping topic): Subject to copyright law and these rules, posters may cite, link, or quote any publication, including their own. Posts linking to outside sources must contain a brief explanation of the nature of the linked material and, unless obvious, how it is relevant to the topic being discussed. All posts and linked material must be in English. Posts and any linked material should be polite and not degenerate into ad hominem attacks. The purpose here is to seek light, not heat—rational discourse, not shouting matches. Leave your cable news persona at home and put on your philosopher's mantle when entering this group. Rational argumentation and Socratic questioning are welcome. Hectoring, intimidation, insult, and presumptuous condescension toward other group members are cause for immediate removal from the group. Internet "trolls," advocates of violence, and posters failing to comply with these rules will be removed from membership, as will posters who persist in raising issues that are outside the scope of the subject matter of this group. New members may introduce themselves in the New Member Introductions topic. See posts 4-5 here regarding the creation of new topics. Photo credit: Socrates sculpture at Louvre (CherryX per Wikimedia Commons [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)