Lecture 20: Democracy: The Theory and Practice

Date & Time: Thursday October 8, 2009 – 7:30 PM

Location: Montgomery Community College (Rockville Campus) – Humanity Building (HU), Conference Room 009 ( Get Directions, Campus Map )

Speaker: Dr. Aram Hessami
Synopsis:
In this presentation, we will attempt to answer two basic questions:
What is Democracy? And how is it practiced?

Through examination of the philosophical foundation of democracy, we will explore the values which have given rise to a particular set of discourses and a particular set of practices in the modern and the post-modern era. What are these values and procedures and how have they shaped our culture?

In order to encourage the participation of our greater Iranian community, this lecture is delivered in Farsi.

About the Lecturer:
Dr. Aram Hessami is a professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Montgomery College in Rockville Maryland. He is a native of Iran and immigrated to the United States in May of 1979. He received his BA, MA, and Doctorate in Political Science from The George Washington University in 1993. Dr. Hessami’s specialization is in Western Political Thought. His Dissertation is on Democracy & Postmodern Thinking. Since September 2001, he is the Middle East expert for a CNN affiliate, WRNR radio, in Martinsburg West Virginia. Dr. Hessami is also a weekly guest every Friday in “Tafsir Khabar” for The Voice of America Television based in Washington D.C. since December 2007. His writing and research focus on modern political theory and comparative politics.

Fee (including dinner): $5 Students, $15 Public