In a real-world example of Godwin’s Law, a presentation at a gathering of prominent philosophy scholars at the University of Pennsylvania likened Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler.
Titled “Trump, Philosophy, and American Politics: Philosophical Implications of the 45th Presidency,” the conference was held at the University of Pennsylvania and brought together philosophy professors from all around the country.
Two professors, David Livingstone Smith, a professor of philosophy at the University of New England, and Kenneth A. Taylor, a professor of philosophy at Stanford University, made comparisons between President Donald Trump and the man who led Nazi Germany between 1934 and 1945.
He then went on to ask the audience, “What would you have done in 1933?”
Taylor said Trump’s presidency is illegitimate because the “flawed” Electoral College model allowed him to win the election despite losing the popular vote, and that he is extremely concerned by Trump’s “delegitimizing” acts against government institutions and the press.
Taylor concluded by saying the nation “needs all hands on deck” in order to oppose the administration through civic protest and pointed political engagement because Trump’s actions have signaled the end of “ordinary oppositional politics” characteristic of democracy.
Michael Weisberg, a philosophy professor and one of the organizers of the conference, said in opening remarks that the idea for the conference started in light of a “stunning” election, and he cited the concern and uncertainty felt across campus and the nation.
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