The John L. Nau III History & Principles of Democracy Lab hosts the "Touchstones of Democracy" series to explore the key events, places, thinkers, and texts that inform the history and principles of democracy.
Spring 2024
'Democracy for Busy People'
How can we make democratic participation more inclusive?
Secrecy and Transparency in the Era of Revolutions
Was secrecy ever legitimate during the French and American Revolutions?
The Future of Democracy in India
Advocates for democracy in India explore what we can learn from moments of renewal—after decades of decay.
Fall 2023
'Ends of War'
UVA history professors Caroline Janney and Elizabeth Varon discuss Janney's book "Ends of War: The Unfinished Fight of Lee's Army After Appomattox."
'The Art of Thinking Freely'
Professor Andrew Curran (Wesleyan University), and French professor Philippe Roger (UVA) explore the influential French Enlightenment thinker Denis Diderot.
African American Thought Advancing Democracy
Melvin Rogers (Brown University) and Lawrie Balfour (UVA) examine how thinkers’ “light of faith” was darkened but not extinguished by slavery.