Hannah Arendt once wrote “The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction . . . and the distinction between true and false . . . no longer exist.” Today, we regularly hear pundits talk of “fake news,” “truthiness” and “living in a post-truth world.” Similarly, many academics, news outlets, and activists have been alarmed at the perceived rise of authoritarian tendencies and policies in the United States, in Europe, and, indeed, across the world over the last ten years. These observers worry that this rise is not a set of unrelated phenomena, but instead portends the dissolution of important democratic institutions, such as the rule of law, an independent judiciary, schools and media as sources for accurate information, fair voting practices, and sensible, decent policies.

Is democracy in crisis and authoritarianism on the rise? If so, what are the tools that authoritarians use to usurp and maintain power? How can a commitment to truth help to affirm a life in common, a shared world, and the common good?

The 2026 Marian University Academic Symposium explores these questions through a careful consideration of democracy and authoritarianism; their ideologies and practices; their effects on the sciences, the humanities, health and social welfare systems; the origins of the ‘authoritarian personality’; the reason why businesses are often the first to capitulate to the authoritarian drive and why educational institutions follow suit. In considering these issues, symposium participants will explore the value of democracy, ask if it is worth preserving, and, if so, how we might do so.

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