Medium (20-45 mins)
Doctrine
Anglican
Dr Rowan Williams - Ethics, law and the future of democracy
Theologian
Rowan Williams
Duration
37.08
Uploaded to YouTube
17 October 2018
Added to Database
20 August 2025
YouTube description
We are living in the aftermath of a referendum. And whatever the rights and wrongs of the particular result, it's worth asking why we aren't usually governed by referendum. Democracy in the full meaning has an ethical component, which is in danger if we just go by majority votes: it assumes something about the liberty or dignity of every citizen, and so mandates a certain approach to minorities or dissidents. In this lecture, Dr Williams will look at how this has evolved and how it works - and why and where it may be at risk today.
