#rp19 speaker Torben Lütjen: Populism as an anti-authoritarian insurrection

"Everyone is talking about populism as an authoritarian movement. But it is really rather an anti-authoritarian insurrection, a radicalized and derailed version of enlightenment that does not accept any truth outside of its own perceived reality.”

Torben Lütjen is a political scientist. He teaches at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and has recently focused on the polarization of American politics and society. 

At #rp19, Torben will talk about contemporary populism, which he understands not as a counter-movement to enlightenment, emancipation and self-determination, but rather as an unfortunate execution of these ideologies. In comparison with authoritarian movements of the past, contemporary populism shows a completely different way of functioning: Mistrust, a tendency towards paranoia and anti-authoritarian thinking characterize the world view of modern populists. Like many other social and political movements, they claim the idea of individual self-empowerment out of a misunderstood version of enlightenment.

Torben Lütjen's current reading recommendation is Suspicious Minds by Rob Brotherton.

Find his session here.