2nd Seminar // February-March 2022

At a time when much of the world is increasingly concerned about authori-tarianism and illiberal attitudes, tolerance and the defense of liberties are once again being strongly vindicated as fundamental principles of democratic systems. This seminar is an extension of the one held in 2021 under the title “Liberal democracy / digital democracy. Democracy and its current transfor-mations”, and is part of the activities developed by ILE in collaboration with Residencia de Estudiantes that are encompassed under the broader heading of “Democracy and Tolerance”. The aim is to clarify how this concept has been redefined, emphasizing the values on which the culture of liberty is based. These values correspond to those promoted by ILE since its foundation: en-couraging personal autonomy, tolerance, critical thinking, and a cosmopolitan view open to international solidarity. Reflecting upon these issues seems espe-cially timely in the face of the various crises and transformations affecting our present-day societies.