The Gray Area with Sean Illing Danielle Allen on the radicalism of the American revolution — and its lessons for today
Jul 2, 2020
Danielle Allen, a Harvard professor and director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, dives into the radicalism of the Declaration of Independence and its relation to today's democracy. She challenges the myth of Thomas Jefferson's sole authorship and discusses democracy reforms like ranked-choice voting and mandatory participation. Allen also explores the impact of police brutality on the revolution and the urgent need for collective action to tackle contemporary issues, from electoral challenges to economic inequalities.
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Freedom Requires Equality
- The Declaration links freedom and equality: there's no freedom without equal political standing.
- Economic equality isn't necessary for this political equality, though economic structure matters.
Equality as Shared Capacity
- Equality in the Declaration isn't about being the same; it's about equally judging our circumstances and seeking a better future.
- This shared capacity makes us political creatures who want to control our surroundings.
Reinventing Democracy
- American democracy needs reinvention because people find institutions unresponsive and disempowering.
- Low congressional approval and millennial disaffection signal this brokenness.
