In his series of lectures, Ignatieff examines whether ‘lesser evils’ are justified to protect the values represented by democracies. Writing in the aftermath of 9/11, his lectures draw on a wide range of historical material to conclude that violence must remain as the very last resort. Exploring the concepts of ‘emergency’, strength and weakness, and nihilism, Ignatieff takes a realistic and measured approach to terrorism and violence in the age of democratic threat.
Michael Grant Ignatieff was born on 12 May 1947 in Toronto, Canada. Author, academic and former politician, he was Leader of the Opposition in Canada from 2008 to 2011. Made Fellow at King’s College, Cambridge in 1978, he has taught at the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, the London School of Economics, the École Pratique des Hautes Études, and the University of California. Appointed Edward R. Murrow Chair of Press, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School in 2014, he was President and Rector of Central European University from 2016 to 2021.
Ignatieff was Awarded the Dan David Prize in 2019 for his contribution to defending democracy. Described by the British Arts Council as ‘an extraordinarily versatile writer’, his novel, Scar Tissue, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1994. A regular contributor to the BBC and other media outlets, other notable works include Just Measure of Pain (1978), Needs of Strangers (1984), Isaiah Berlin: A Life (1998), Warrior’s Honor (1998), Nationalism and Self-Determination (2000), and he edited Making States Work (2005).
