Join us for a conversation with Andrew S. Curran, professor of the humanities at Wesleyan University, about the influential French Enlightenment thinker Dénis Diderot. Most famous for his role as the editor of the world’s first encyclopedia, Diderot also had a profound impact through his many writings critiquing the monarchy, slavery and empire, and religious institutions and by arguing for freedom of thought and expression. Curran will draw on his book Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely (Penguin Random House) to explore how Diderot’s work reshaped political thought in ways that continue to influence our democratic culture. Curran will be in conversation with UVA’s Philippe Roger, professor of French and renowned specialist of the French Enlightenment.
Lunch will be available starting at 11:30 AM, with the conversation following from 12:00-1:15 PM. Parking is not available at Bond House. If you plan to drive, there is paid parking within walking distance at the Oakhurst Inn and Central Grounds Garage.
The Nau Lab's “Touchstones of Democracy” series explores key events, places, thinkers, and texts that inform the history and principles of democracy. Join us for the fall 2023 conversations, which are produced by the Karsh Institute of Democracy and the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
