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*Postponed* The Power and Allure of Dictators
March 28, 2020 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

In the face of populist pressures, many nations around the world are turning to authoritarian leaders whose attachment to the liberal values of democracy, transparency, and human rights is questionable at best or outright denied. What inspires people to prefer the rule of one person over sharing power among many? By what right do individuals assume they speak for everyone? Are there common factors that lead to dictatorships or characterize how they function? To answer these questions, we will review the history and development of “dictators” from the earliest use of the term in ancient Rome to the autocrats in small nations in the 20th century and today. Since dictators often establish their legitimacy through legal means and then abuse the power consigned to them, we
should learn how to recognize them before we’re ruled by them. Join us for this review of despots past and present.
TOPICS & SPEAKERS
Roman Use and Abuse: Republican Dictators from Cincinnatus to Caesar
Richard J. A. Talbert, William Rand Kenan Jr. Professor of History
Napoleon: Sovereignty, Revolution, and the First Nationalist Dictator
Maximilian P. Owre, Teaching Assistant Professor of History and Executive Director, Carolina Public Humanities
Stalin: Power and Party in the Soviet Union
Anna Krylova, Associate Professor of History, Duke University
Despots and Tyrants in the Contemporary World
Jeremy Hunter, Independent Scholar and Journalist
Why Dictators? The Appeal and Dangers of One-Person Rule
A panel discussion with our speakers
TIME AND TUITION
9:00am-5:00pm, Saturday, March 28. The tuition is $125 ($115 until January 23). Tuition for teachers is $62.50 ($57.50 until January 23). Teachers can also receive a $75 stipend after attending (click here for more information) and 10 contact hours for 1 unit of renewal credit. The optional lunch on Saturday is $15.00.
Discounts are available for UNC students, faculty, & staff. See our UNC Student, Staff, & Faculty Discounted Registration Policy here.
Co-Sponsored by the General Alumni Association.
For information about GAA discounts and other scholarships available to Humanities Program participants, click here.
Register here or call us at 919.962.1544. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. WE CANNOT ACCOMMODATE WALK-INS FOR THIS EVENT.
Registrants will receive a packet containing background readings, a map to the seminar location, and more about 2-3 weeks before the program date. If you have not received any information from CPH the week of the event, please contact us ASAP.