Many around the world breathed a deep sigh of relief when it became clear that Joe Biden had finally defeated Donald Trump in the recent U.S. presidential election, seemingly ending a dark chapter in U.S. and world history. But is it too early to take comfort? There was no clear mandate in Biden’s victory, and the U.S. remains a deeply polarized society – not only by race, class, level of education and politics, but seemingly by even the most basic comprehension of reality.
Even in loss, Trump attracted over 10 million more voters in 2020 than he did four years earlier – more votes than any previous U.S. presidential candidate in history. Is Trump an anomaly, or a signal that the expansion of American democracy in the post-World War II global dispensation is now irreparably unraveling in the post-Industrial Age? If the political center can no longer hold in a global hegemon, what are the implications for human survival as threats such as nuclear proliferation and environmental crisis accelerate across the planet?
Dr. Chomsky has also authored over 100 books on topics ranging from linguistics to politics to mass media in his long and illustrious career. He is a Laureate Professor at the University of Arizona and Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Noam Chomsky, according to The NewYork Times is ‘arguably the most important intellectual alive.’
The Yohsin Lecture is Habib University’s flagship lecture series and serves as a conduit for leading international scholars from across the world to engage with Habib University students as well as the public on wide-ranging topics of global importance. Habib University encourages the sharing of ideas and interaction with leading global scholars as it works towards cultivating engaged, thoughtful citizens who are locally grounded and globally aware.
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