TRANSPARENT WINDOWS (ONSITE/ ΔΙΑ ΖΩΣΗΣ) - ΑΜΕRICAN STUDIES WORKSHOP
You're cordially invited to the ONSITE WORKSHOP to be held on
March 11, 2026 @ 14:00-16:00 (Room 112 Old Philosophy Building).
Workshop Title:
The U.S. Declaration of Independence and Relevance of ‘the consent of the governed’
Speaker:
Dr. Hector Calleros (American Studies Center, U of Warsaw, Poland)
The language of the event is English. The event is ON SITE and takes place in the context of the AUTh & U of Warsaw Erasmus+ collaboration.
REGISTRATION FORM
To register, please click here and fill in your information: Υοu can also register ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT ON SITE.
Certificate of attendance will be provided upon request. See the registration form.
ABSTRACT
The U.S. Declaration of Independence is often celebrated as a landmark assertion of the principle of 'the consent of the governed.' However, the document reveals significant tensions between its ideals and the realities of late 18th-century America. While it claims that governments derive legitimacy from the people’s consent, it excludes important segments of the population – such as Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans and women- from the political community. The Declaration thus presents a paradox: it envisions universal rights while simultaneously establishing a society structured around exclusion and inequality. This tension raises critical questions about the nature and limits of consent, as well as the limits of state power. The historical significance of the Declaration lies in its enduring ability to inspire, even as it obscures the contradictions inherent in its vision of freedom and justice.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Dr. Calleros is a lecturer and researcher at the American Studies Center of the University of Warsaw. His research is centred on the analysis of political processes, social conflicts and ethnicity. On Political Institutions, his focus is on the role of the legislature within constitutional democracy. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Bucharest´s Research Institute and has been a visiting researcher at the University of Warsaw´s Institute of International Relations. He has provided advice on public policy (conflict resolution, human rights, transparency and elections) in Mexico. Trained as a Political Scientist, Dr. Calleros obtained a B.A. from UNAM´s School of Political and Social Sciences. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Leeds (U.K.) and received his M.A. in Legislative Studies from the University of Hull (U.K.). Dr. Calleros has conducted fieldwork in the United States, Spain, Poland, Rumania, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
