Talks & Interviews
“‘Common Sense’ Is Destroying Democracy”
Current Affairs | Podcast - April 4, 2025
Sophie Rosenfeld discusses how the idea of “common sense” has been used as a political weapon—from Thomas Paine to Donald Trump. Rosenfeld explains how appeals to common sense can both empower ordinary people and shut down dissent, why the term has become central to right-wing populism, and how it helps mask deeply ideological claims as obvious truths. She also reflects on her new book, The Age of Choice, and the hidden politics behind the freedoms we take for granted.
“Turns out common sense isn’t all that common”
The Colin McEnroe Show | Podcast - March 6, 2025
President Donald Trump has been using the phrase “common sense” a lot. But it turns out that this is nothing new for politicians. Rosenfeld and others look at how common sense is used in politics. Plus, is there really such a thing as common sense? The interview digs into what it means and if it’s possible to teach it to artificial intelligence.
”A Dialogue about the Past and Future of Democracy”
Omnia Magazine | Print February 17, 2025
Rosenfeld speaks with her colleagues about the role of universities and a liberal arts education today in maintaining and strengthening democracy.
“Trump and Common Sense”
Folha de S. Paulo | Print February 1, 2025
Historian Sophia Rosenfeld sees the President as a man who makes nuances disappear and who tries to sell himself as “of the people.”
“Do Discomfort, Anguish, and Divisive Concepts Belong in the Classroom? A Conversation about Free Speech in Public Schools”
Courageous Conversations | Podcast March 6, 2024
Since 2020, nearly 20 states have passed legislation prohibiting public school educators from teaching “divisive concepts” or any content that might cause students to feel “discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress” because of their race or sex. Sophia Rosenfeld joins the conversation along with other scholars.
“University Discourse”
La Tercera | Print June 21, 2024
Sophia Rosenfeld discusses “cancel culture” and campus discourse in a new interview.
“Is American democracy in danger today?”
TF1 Television, France | Television Interview October 26, 2024
Does American democracy seem in danger today?
“Truth and Democracy”
UPenn Omnia | Print September 30, 2024
Sophia Rosenfeld discusses some of the big questions at the heart of American democracy like whether common sense has changed in the context of politics, how a healthy democracy works, who decides what’s true in democracy, and much more.
“Confidence with Dr. Sophia Rosenfeld”
Chiesman Center for Democracy at USD | Podcast September 6, 2024
On this episode of Dakota Dialogues, Shane and Julia dive into the implications for truth and democracy in both South Dakota and over time in the US with historian, author, and professor Dr. Sophia Rosenfeld.
“What Can We Talk About? The Free Speech Battle in Our Colleges and Universities”
Crested Butte Public Policy Forum I Audio Recording July 16, 2024
“What Columbia's crackdown on protesters tells us about free speech on college campuses”
NPR: Created Equal | Podcast May 1, 2024
Tensions between student-led protesters and university officials at Columbia University on Tuesday led to NYPD officers clad in riot-gear forcibly removing protesters from the Hamilton Hall building, which they had occupied for less than 24 hours. Sophia Rosenfeld joins the show to discuss the protests and universities' responses.
“Are Academic Freedom and Open Expression Under Siege?”
University of Pennsylvania | Video April 28, 2024
There is sharp disagreement about the meaning and practice of open expression and academic freedom at the University of Pennsylvania and other universities. What exactly do these concepts mean? What rights do they confer? What are their limits? Sophia Rosenfeld moderates a discussion at a University of Pennsylvania Faculty Senate Roundtable with some of the nation’s leading scholars.
“New dialogue series explores open expression and free speech”
Penn Today | Print February 8, 2024
The inaugural event of the University of Pennsylvania’s “Living the Hard Promise” dialogue series featured a conversation with history professor Sophia Rosenfeld, examining the purpose, history, and challenges of open expression on campus.
“No, Campuses Are Not in Chaos Over Gaza”
The New York Times | Audio Essay December 20, 2023
In this NYT audio essay, Sophia Rosenfeld shares a model for engaging in tough conversations for anyone looking to have thoughtful discussions about some of the most fraught issues of our era.
“Is Truth the Highest Good of Democracy?”
Tenfourteen | Video November 14, 2023
At a time when there is talk of “fake news” and “alternative facts”, the question arises as to the role and status of truth in democracy. In conversation with the historian Sophia Rosenfeld, Alexander Görlach discussed truth and probability, science and faith in liberal democracy.
“Lançamento ‘Democracia e verdade’ – Roda de conversa com Sophia Rosenfeld”
Ateliê de Humanidades | Video February 2, 2023
Book launch for Portuguese edition of “Democracy and Truth.”
“Democracy and ‘Common Sense’: A Conversation with Sophia Rosenfeld”
Library of Congress | Video January 27, 2023
Kluge Center Director Kevin Butterfield interviews Kluge Chair in Countries and Cultures of the North, Sophia Rosenfeld. This wide-ranging conversation will explore the idea of "common sense" in the political sphere, and what history can teach us about the ways knowledge is created, shared, and validated.
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“Truth, Lies and Democracy”
New Lines Magazine | Podcast November 25, 2022
In an age defined by disinformation, it has become almost a cliche to talk about “post-truth politics.” But while truth has been the media’s foremost concern in the era of “fake news,” there has been surprisingly little reflection on what it actually means in the first place.“How Can Democracies Can Come Out Stronger From the Challenges They Are Facing?”
MLK Library in Washington DC | Video May 2022
At the French Embassy’s “La Nuit des Idées/Night of Ideas,” Sophia Rosenfeld and Caroline Fredrickson (Georgetown Law) explore the many ways in which, in their recent history, France and the United States have reinvented their institutions and overcome challenges to liberal democracy.“The Crisis of Truth in Democratic Societies”
School for Advanced Research, Santa Fe | Video May 2022
In conversation with Rebecca Solnit, Sophia Rosenfeld considers whether the alleged crisis of truth represents a danger to democratic institutions and, if so, what can be done about it.“Touchstones of Democracy: Alexis de Tocqueville”
University of Virginia | Video April, 2022
Historian Olivier Zunz, UVA Professor of History, and Sophia Rosenfeld discuss Zunz’s new biography of Tocqueville, The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville (2022).“Truth and Commons Sense”
Paris Institute for Critical Thinking | Podcast February 14, 2022
Sophia Rosenfeld speaks with Kristof K.P. Vanhoutte (Basel, Switzerland) in a Podcast from the Paris Institute for Critical Thinking.Interview: “In a Democracy in Crisis, the Truth is Far Away”
Apache Magazine | Print January, 10 2022
Sophia Rosenfeld is interviewed in the Dutch magazine “Apache,” where she discusses truth, democracy, and our current crises. -
“Postmodernism, Post-Truth, and Democracy”
Recovering Truth | Podcast December 2021
You’ll find references to “my truth” in plenty of self-help books, and we're frequently encouraged to share our experiences, opinions, and stories about how we perceive ourselves and our views of reality. But is the focus on "my truth" a sign that we no longer believe truth is something that is shared? And what are the stakes for democracy if citizens no longer hold certain truths in common, or even share the same reality? Sophia Rosenfeld takes on these questions in this podcast episode of “Recovering Truth.”“Patriotism and Dissent in America”
National Constitution Center | Podcast October, 13 2021
What has patriotism meant over time, and how has civil debate shaped it? Sophia Rosenfeld joins other scholars at the National Constitution Center to discuss patriotism and dissent throughout American history—from the Revolution through the Founding and the Civil War to today.“Lies and Democracy” Roundtable
Knight First Amendment Institute | Video September 24, 2021
Sophia Rosenfeld joins Masha Gessen (The New Yorker) and Quinta Jurecic (Brookings Institution) in a panel discussion about political lies and American democracy, organized by the Knight First Amendment Institute.“America Has Wrestled with Truth Since Its Founding”
Charlotte Talk, WFAE | Public Radio June 28, 2021
Sophia Rosenfeld joins “Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins” to discuss Democracy and Truth.“Sophia Rosenfeld on truth and Misinformation in History and Today”
Queen City Nerve (Charlotte) | Print June 28, 2021
What is truth and who decides? That is a central question that historian Sophia A. Rosenfeld explores in her new book.“Democracy and Truth with Sophia Rosenfeld”
Why We Argue | Podcast March 16, 2021
In this episode, Sophia Rosenfeld talks about how while current tensions between democracy and truth may seem new, they in fact have a long history.“Conspiracy Theory and Political Culture, Past and Present”
UPenn Libraries | Video March 16, 2021
Sophia Rosenfeld moderates a discussion with Adrienne LaFrance (The Atlantic) and James McAuley, (The Atlantic contributor and author of The House of Fragile Things, A History of Dreyfus-Era France) for a conversation around the long history of conspiracy theory and its role in political culture, then and now.“An Interview with Sophia Rosenfeld”
The Geyser | Print January 11, 2021
Sophia Rosenfeld responds to our moment in politics.“History, Democracy, Truth, and the Press”
The Geyser | Print January 8, 2021
“Historians can provide pretty damn useful context when history is being made around you in tear-gas-infused Technicolor.” -
“Book Talk: Democracy and Truth” (in Portuguese)
Via Marginal | Podcast December 28, 2020
Portuguese book talk and podcast on “Democracy and Truth.”“Understanding the Present”
The Colloquy, Harvard University | Print February 18, 2020
In an interview with Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences magazine, Sophia Rosenfeld discusses her latest book, Democracy and Truth, and explains how lessons from the past can inform conversations about politics today.“Democracy and Truth in Crisis”
Philadelphia Ethical Society | Video February, 2020
Sophia Rosenfeld explores why truth seems to be under siege in so much of the world today, how we got to this point, and what we might be able to do about it. -
“Does Democracy Have a Problem with Conspiracies?”
The Minefield, Australia | Podcast October 23, 2019
At least since the Age of Revolution — which is to say, the end of the eighteenth century — democracy has proven itself peculiarly susceptible to various forms of conspiracism. Today, this conspiratorial tendency in and of democratic politics has been pushed deeper and further than perhaps it otherwise would have gone. So what can be done?“American Democracy”
CSPAN | Television Interview October 6, 2019
The Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education hosts Sophia Rosenfeld, author of "Democracy and Truth: A Short History." She talks about the long-held tensions among citizens in a democracy to determine what the truth is -- rather than relying on an elite class to determine the truth for them.“Democracy and Truth”
Your Weekly Constitutional (WETS) | Podcast August 29, 2019
These days it seems that the words "democracy" and "truth" are mutually exclusive, but historian Sophia Rosenfeld tells us that that's often been the case in our history. She does, however, acknowledge that today may be a special case, primarily because of the march of technology and also because of the intense political polarization we face. Join us for a disturbing, but fascinating, discussion.“Democracy and Truth”
Radio Times (WHYY) | Public Radio June 12, 2019
Sophia Rosenfeld argues in her new book, Democracy and Truth, that in a democracy there has always been an argument about what is true.“Truth and Democracy: An Interview with Sophia Rosenfeld”
Age of Revolutions Blog | Print June 10, 2019
Interview with Sophia Rosenfeld about her book, Democracy and Truth.“Truth and Democracy, with Sophia Rosenfeld”
Free Speech 50 | Podcast May 28, 2019
“Fake News. Post-truth. Alternative Facts. Conspiracies. Bot-generated posts. Lies, lies, lies. When will it stop?! We are living in an exciting and disorienting time when truth, it seems, is up for grabs.” Sophia Rosenfeld speaks with teacher, writer, and translator Uli Baer“JHIBlog Podcast: Simon Brown interviews Sophia Rosenfeld”
JHIBlog | Print March 25, 2019
Simon Brown takes on our post-truth moment with a wide-ranging interview with Sophia Rosenfeld.“Ideas and Ideals with Sophia Rosenfeld”
KPFA | Podcast March 1, 2019
Ideas and Ideals: is a weekly live radio program that discusses thought and imagination. Arts, politics, religion and belief systems are examined. Hosted by Larry Bensky.“Does Democracy Need Truth?: A Conversation with the Historian Sophia Rosenfeld”
The New Yorker | Print January 31, 2019
Two years into Trump’s Presidency, the historian Sophia Rosenfeld reminds us that “democracy insists on the idea that truth both matters and that nobody gets to say definitively what it is.”“Interview with Sophia Rosenfeld, Author of Democracy and Truth”
The Tyler Interview, TKNN | Print January 26, 2019“Is "Wisdom of the Crowd" an Oxymoron?”
The Brian Lehrer Show | Audio Interview January 25, 2019
Sophia Rosenfeld explores democracy's inherent conflict between the "wisdom of the crowd" and the need for elite vetting of information. -
“Democracy and Truth”
The University of Pennsylvania | Video November 15, 2018
How, historically, have democracy and truth been connected to one another? Why is that relationship seemingly in peril now in the U.S. and in much of the world? And what, if anything, can be done in our “post-truth” age?“Truth and Faith”
The Democracy Test | Podcast November 2, 2018
What happens in a democracy when we can’t believe in anything? When we don’t even believe in our nation’s ability to govern itself? Faith in democracy decays. Participation erodes. The politics of possibility in our nation demand some sense of shared reality and basic level of belief that government can serve the common good. What will be the lasting impact of our current break in truth and faith?“Conspiracies and Common Sense - From Founding to the Trump Era”
Chicago Humanities Festival | Video January 10, 2018
What is the history of civic beliefs-the convictions that ground our political lives?“Populism, Conspiracy and Common Sense from Thomas Paine to Donald Trump”
CRASSH: The Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities at Cambridge University | Public Lecture June 1, 2017
Populism is best understood as a style of politics rather than a specific doctrine. But ever since the eighteenth century, its appeal has depended upon a kind of built-in conspiracy theory: that the current crisis stems from the fact that the real people have been robbed of a power that they once naturally possessed, and the situation can only be rectified by a return to their unjustly neglected 'common' sense. In the age of Paine, this theory helped spur the development of a democratic political order. Yet already by the time of the French Revolution – and to this day, as the current Trump regime in the US demonstrates – a common sense populism threatens to undermine democracy at every turn in ways that this talk spells out.“Common Sense: A Political History: Interview with Sophia Rosenfeld”
CSPAN Book TV | Video March, 2011
Sophia Rosenfeld talks about her book, Common Sense: A Political History on the University of Virginia campus while at the Virginia Festival of the Book.
Lectures
“President's Lecture - Sophia Rosenfeld”
ABIM Foundation - August 9, 2023
Sophia Rosenfeld speaks about trust, expertise, and truth in the fields of modern medicine and healthcare.
“How the Enlightenment Understood Truth — and Why That Matters.”
University of Oxford - November 18, 2021
Sophia Rosenfeld delivers the 2021 Besterman Lecture at Oxford: Rosenfeld explores the paradoxical nature of Enlightenment thinking about truth and its legacy, including both its risks and its enduring promise.
“Democracy and Common Sense in the Post-Truth Age”
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt - October 15, 2021
Sophia Rosenfeld delivers a keynote lecture that explores the longer story of present perils of “truth” and “common sense,” back to the Enlightenment and the birth of modern democracy, to the rise of expertise and the continued appeal of the common sense.
“Keynote Address at Paris21/OECD Forum”
Paris21/OECD - October 28, 2019
Sophia Rosenfeld gives the keynote talk at a Paris21/OECD forum, Building Trust in Data. Whereas once, our sources for ‘facts’ about the world were limited largely to official statistics or the work of a small group of academics, today, with only a few clicks of a button we can analyze millions of data points or fact-check a friend’s casual assertion. Moreover, from civil society organizations to armchair evangelists, anyone is capable of accessing a dataset and using it to advance a point of view. What does this mean for official statistics? Sophia Rosenfeld begins the forum with a keynote address on the history of truth and democracy.
“Truth, Lies and Democracy Now: A Historian’s Reflections”
Villanova University - October 6, 2022
Sophia Rosenfeld delivers a keynote lecture at Villanova’s Lepage Center.
Media Mentions
“The History of ‘Common Sense’ Matters When Caring for our Common Home”
The Conversation - March 20, 2025
“From Trump to Macron: How politicians use the ‘common sense’ argument…”
Télérama - February 25, 2025
“Trump and Common Sense”
DC News (Brazil) - February 2, 2025
“Back to ‘Common Sense’: Trump’s Populist Revolution”
Frankfurter Rundschau - January 20, 2025
"Paradoxically, 'common sense' rhetoric thrives particularly well in moments of extreme political polarization because it is designed to create the impression that there is a way to avoid political conflict."
“Elon Musk Is a New Kind of Political Donor”
The Atlantic - October 24, 2024
“Rosenfeld noted that Musk’s particular combination of wealth and media control is ‘unprecedented.’”
”Elon Musk’s Misleading Election Claims Reach Millions and Alarm Election Officials”
The Washington Post - September 10, 2024
“The great risk in a privatized public sphere,” said Sophia Rosenfeld, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Democracy and Truth: A Short History,” is that the owner, in this case, Musk, “can control both the flow of information and the content of that information to suit their own needs, whether financial, ideological or both.”
“Trump's Most Zealous Campaigner” (German language)
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - October 26, 2024
Articles on “Trump's Most Zealous Campaigner” & “Deepfakes”
Bon sens en politique, un contresens démocratique” [PDF]
Le Monde - November 23, 2024
If the notion of “common sense” has created an ideological terrain favorable to the emergence of liberal democracies, its vague contours today allow unscrupulous political actors, in particular of the extreme right, to use it as a a weapon, as insidious as it is effective, against pluralism and democracy itself.
“Vérité et politique”
Le Monde - July 9, 2022
Sophia Rosenfeld quoted in Le Monde on truth and politics.
“When the Czarinas Ruled the Front Row”
New York Times - July 4, 2022
Sophia Rosenfeld quoted in the New York Times Style section.
“Let’s Rescue Truth”
The Boston Globe - September, 16 2021
Op-Ed writers for the Boston Globe cite “Democracy and Truth.”
“A Political Obituary for Donald Trump”
The Atlantic - January, 2021
The Atlantic’s George Packer quotes from “Democracy and Truth” in a discussion of the legacy of Trump’s presidency.
“To Speak Truth to Power is Duty of All”
The Indian Express - August 29, 2021
India’s Supreme Court judge Justice D Y Chandrachud quoted from “Democracy and Truth” in a recent speech on the need for truth in India’s democracy. Read his full speech here.
“Career Owners: Resolve To Seek Out Your Own Truth This Year”
Forbes - January 2, 2021
A summary of “Democracy and Truth” that helps contribute to the sustainability of your own career, as well as to a form of democracy that supports sustainable careers for others.