Thermonuclear Monarchy and a Sleeping Citizenry

The 18th Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future will take place on Thursday, May 9, 2019, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the Karpeles Manuscript Library in Santa Barbara, California.

This year’s speaker is Elaine Scarry. Scarry teaches at Harvard University, where she is the Cabot Professor of Aesthetics and the General Theory of Value. She lectures nationally and internationally on nuclear war, law, literature, and medicine.

In her recent book, Thermonuclear Monarchy: Choosing Between Democracy and Doom , Scarry describes the alarming power of one leader to annihilate millions by launching nuclear weapons, arguing that this power is at odds with the principles of democracy.

Ms. Scarry’s work could not be more relevant to the geopolitical climate of today.