David Livingstone Smith speaks at an international festival of brilliant minds in Mexico

David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, joined more than 60 speakers, from scientists to opinion leaders, at La Ciudad de las Ideas, an international festival of brilliant minds.

According to the organizers, Smith made attendees react to the way they see authoritarian leadership, its consequences and its collateral effects. 

Smith is the author of the award-winning book Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others.

He is currently working on two more books on the subject of dehumanization. One to be published by Harvard University Press and the other by Oxford University Press. His paper "Manufacturing monsters: dehumanization and public policy" recently appeared in The Palgrave Companion to Philosophy and Public Policy.

La Ciudad de las Ideas, called a celebration of creativity and curiosity by its organizers, was held in Puebla, Mexico, November 16-18.

Read about the festival and Smith’s appearance in the Mexican newspapers El Universal, Cambio and Milenio (all in Spanish).

View Smith’s talk on YouTube.