Danielle Allen: 2015 Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Nonfiction

Political philosopher Danielle Allen is celebrated for her work on justice and citizenship in both ancient Athens and modern America. Her latest book, "Our Declaration," published just last year, is already regarded as a seminal interpretation of the promise of American democracy. Challenging conventional wisdom, she boldly makes the case that the Declaration is a document as much about political equality as about individual liberty. Combining a personal account of teaching the Declaration of Independence with a vivid evocation of the colonial world between 1774 and 1777, Allen reveals the text to be an animating force that changed the world more than two hundred years ago and possesses the power to do so today. Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mary Schmich joins her for a conversation.

This program is presented in partnership with the Chicago Tribune’s Printers Row series.

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