About this Event
TPL and Toronto Metropolitan University present historian Sven Beckert in conversation with Sanjay Ruparelia at the Toronto Reference Library's Appel Salon.
As the Laird Bell Professor of History at Harvard University and co-chair of the university's Program on the Study of Capitalism, Sven Beckert has spent his career tracing how a single economic system came to structure nearly every aspect of modern life, how we work, how we think about ourselves and others, and how we organize our politics.
In Capitalism: A Global History, Beckert reveals that capitalism was born global, corresponding at no point to an idealized dream of free markets; from the outset, state-backed institutions, imperial expansion, and coercion shaped its dynamics as much as innovation and exchange did. Along the way, capitalism has both expanded political voice for some and violently foreclosed it for others, entangled from its origins with slavery, colonialism, and profound inequality.
How do we distinguish between capitalism's capacity to generate genuine prosperity and its tendency to concentrate power in ways that undermine democratic institutions? What can nearly a thousand years of capitalist history teach us about the conditions under which economic systems support, rather than erode, democratic life? And as we confront what many call a crisis of late-stage capitalism, what possibilities remain for reimagining an economic order more compatible with democratic values?
Join one of the world's foremost historians of capitalism for an essential conversation about the deep entanglement of markets and democracy, and what history suggests about the road ahead.
Question and answer session and book signing to follow. Books available for purchase.
About this Event's Guests:
Sven Beckert
Sanjay Ruparelia
Read More:
Capitalism: A Global History
Empire of Cotton: A Global History
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This event is part of our On Civil Society series, where we host local and international authors, activists and academics in conversation about the most critical topics of our time. Generously supported by the McConnell Foundation and also by Chris M. Reid.
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About the series:
On the Frontlines of Democracy is a public lecture series to analyze the trajectory of democracy in the twenty-first century.
In every region, the prospects of democracy face serious challenges, old and new. Can we protect constitutional rights and renew collective self-rule in an era of popular mistrust, severe partisanship and resurgent nationalism? Can they reduce inequalities of power, wealth and status, defend deep diversity and confront climate change in the new digital age? Can we develop innovative strategies to revitalize civic engagement, empower public institutions and resist autocratic threats? And what can we offer, learn and do to promote the prospects of democracy in our increasingly post-western global order?
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PLAN YOUR VISIT:
Location: Bram and Bluma Appel Salon, Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street), 2nd floor
Time: Doors open 6:00 pm, Event starts 7 pm.
Tickets: Free registration required.
Ticket policy: Tickets guaranteed until 6:50 pm, after which rush line admission begins. Seating first come, first served.
Bar: Beer/wine available for purchase (debit/credit only).
TPL is committed to accessibility. If you are Deaf or have a disability and would like to request accommodation for this event, please contact [email protected] or 416-393-7099 at least three weeks prior to the event.
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Information Collection Notice: The personal information on this form is collected by the Toronto Public Library under the Public Libraries Act, sections 20(a), 20(c), and 20(d). The information will only be used for event and program registration, delivery and evaluation. Registrants may be contacted to fill out a brief survey following the program. Questions about how the library handles your information can be directed to Answerline staff at [email protected], 416-397-5981, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto ON M4W 2G8.
Event venue & nearby stays
Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, Toronto Reference Library, Toronto, Canada
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