Danielle Allen is James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University and Director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at the Kennedy School's Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.* She spoke with Mo Lotman about Eudaimonia aka “the good life.” They explore the emphasis in American education on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), and the social costs of not teaching social studies and history. Regardless of your politics, Allen’s diagnosis that we have inadequate education in civics and history is something most Americans will agree on as we head into 2024’s turbulent election season.
*At the time this interview was recorded, Allen was the director of the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard. She is now assembling research for the Democracy Renovation project for Our Common Purpose, a commission for the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Danielle Allen on Civics Education and Democracy