SSU 119 — Stanford Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series
Quarter: Fall
Instructor(s):
Date(s): Oct 21—Nov 11
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Wednesdays
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 5:00—6:10 pm (PT)
Tuition: $215
Refund Deadline: Oct 23
Unit(s): 0
Status: Registration opens Aug 17, 8:30 am (PT)
Quarter: Fall
Day: Wednesdays
Duration: 4 weeks
Time: 5:00—6:10 pm (PT)
Date(s): Oct 21—Nov 11
Unit(s): 0
Tuition: $215
Refund Deadline: Oct 23
Instructor(s):
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Registration opens Aug 17, 8:30 am (PT)
Join us for a new season of the Stanford Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series featuring fresh insights into history, science, politics, and culture. Historian Dan Edelstein opens the series by exploring the history of revolution, asking how an idea once seen as a grave political danger came to be viewed as a force for progress. Historian Jessica Riskin then turns to the question of “life,” tracing the legacy of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and the origins of evolutionary thought to show how debates over biology continue to shape our understanding of science. Political scientist Brandice Canes-Wrone offers a historically grounded analysis of the 2026 midterm elections, examining how current conditions may follow or depart from past patterns and what forces are likely to shape the outcome. The series concludes with humanities professor and senior associate vice provost for undergraduate education Michele Elam, who examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping identity, creativity, and cultural expression in contemporary life.
Each professor will present for 45 minutes, followed by a Q&A session with students.
Session 1: Wednesday, October 21, 5:00 - 6:10 pm (PT)
Revolution: The History of a Dangerous Idea
Dan Edelstein
William H. Bonsall Professor of French and Professor by courtesy of History and of Political Science, Stanford
How did an event once considered a grave political danger come to be seen as a force for progress? For centuries, thinkers from Plato to John Adams treated revolution as a threat to social order and sought to prevent it through balanced systems of government. In the 18th century, French writers began to see revolution differently, recasting it as a way to create more just and rational societies. In this lecture, Dan Edelstein traces that shift and its consequences, showing how these ideas were tested during the French Revolution and went on to shape modern political thought well into the 20th century.
Session 2: Wednesday, October 28, 5:00 - 6:10 pm (PT)
The Power of Life and the Invention of Biology
Jessica Riskin
Frances and Charles Field Professor of History, Stanford
What do we mean when we speak of “life”? In the early 19th century, the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed one of the first evolutionary theories and helped define a new field: biology. His account of self-transforming organisms challenged the idea that life is fixed. Drawing on her recent book, The Power of Life, Jessica Riskin traces Lamarck’s ideas and the long effort to discredit them, showing how this debate continues to shape our understanding of evolution and the nature of science.
Session 3: Wednesday, November 4, 5:00 - 6:10 pm (PT)
The 2026 Elections in Historical Perspective
Brandice Canes-Wrone
Professor of Political Science and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford
The 2026 midterm elections unfold amid deep political polarization, economic and foreign policy challenges, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence. How closely will they follow historical patterns, and where might they break from them? Which party is likely to control the House and Senate? This lecture offers a historically grounded analysis of the forces expected to shape the outcome.
Session 4: Wednesday, November 11, 5:00 - 6:10 pm (PT)
Slow AI: Human Values in an Accelerating World
Michele Elam
William Robertson Coe Professor in the Humanities and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Stanford
Artificial intelligence is often framed in terms of disruption, speed, and optimization. But what happens to enduring human values such as reflection, interpretation, and depth? In this lecture, Michele Elam brings a humanistic lens to AI, examining its implications for creativity, critical thinking, and culture while exploring how citizens might engage more thoughtfully with technologies whose social impact is both profound and rapidly accelerating.
Each professor will present for 45 minutes, followed by a Q&A session with students.
Session 1: Wednesday, October 21, 5:00 - 6:10 pm (PT)
Revolution: The History of a Dangerous Idea
Dan Edelstein
William H. Bonsall Professor of French and Professor by courtesy of History and of Political Science, Stanford
How did an event once considered a grave political danger come to be seen as a force for progress? For centuries, thinkers from Plato to John Adams treated revolution as a threat to social order and sought to prevent it through balanced systems of government. In the 18th century, French writers began to see revolution differently, recasting it as a way to create more just and rational societies. In this lecture, Dan Edelstein traces that shift and its consequences, showing how these ideas were tested during the French Revolution and went on to shape modern political thought well into the 20th century.
Session 2: Wednesday, October 28, 5:00 - 6:10 pm (PT)
The Power of Life and the Invention of Biology
Jessica Riskin
Frances and Charles Field Professor of History, Stanford
What do we mean when we speak of “life”? In the early 19th century, the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed one of the first evolutionary theories and helped define a new field: biology. His account of self-transforming organisms challenged the idea that life is fixed. Drawing on her recent book, The Power of Life, Jessica Riskin traces Lamarck’s ideas and the long effort to discredit them, showing how this debate continues to shape our understanding of evolution and the nature of science.
Session 3: Wednesday, November 4, 5:00 - 6:10 pm (PT)
The 2026 Elections in Historical Perspective
Brandice Canes-Wrone
Professor of Political Science and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford
The 2026 midterm elections unfold amid deep political polarization, economic and foreign policy challenges, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence. How closely will they follow historical patterns, and where might they break from them? Which party is likely to control the House and Senate? This lecture offers a historically grounded analysis of the forces expected to shape the outcome.
Session 4: Wednesday, November 11, 5:00 - 6:10 pm (PT)
Slow AI: Human Values in an Accelerating World
Michele Elam
William Robertson Coe Professor in the Humanities and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Stanford
Artificial intelligence is often framed in terms of disruption, speed, and optimization. But what happens to enduring human values such as reflection, interpretation, and depth? In this lecture, Michele Elam brings a humanistic lens to AI, examining its implications for creativity, critical thinking, and culture while exploring how citizens might engage more thoughtfully with technologies whose social impact is both profound and rapidly accelerating.
This is a large-enrollment course made up of lecture/presentation and moderated Q&A. Students can submit questions for Q&A, but there is no active participation.