A generation ago, the world witnessed what many thought was the triumph of democracy: the peaceful dismantling of military dictatorships and authoritarian regimes. But today, in many of those same places, democracy is faltering — its promises dimmed, its institutions under strain. How did we arrive at this turning point? And what can we learn from the forces that built, and now threaten, the democratic experiment? This seminar invites students to think critically — and creatively — about the conditions that have led to democracy’s current fragility and about the possibilities for its renewal. Together, we’ll explore how societies imagine freedom and belonging, how fear and hope shape political life, and what it might mean to sustain the infrastructure of public hope in uncertain times. Through readings and conversations spanning political theory, philosophy, and the arts — from Hannah Arendt, Achille Mbembe, and Judith Butler to Beckett, Ionesco, and Thomas Mann — we’ll explore not only what went wrong but also how imagination and ethics can help re-envision the political today.