2007-2009 Programs
March 1, 2007 The Center invited Dr. Lawrence E. Harrison to give a talk entitled, “The Central Liberal Truth: How Politics Can Change a Culture and Save It From Itself.” The main focus of the talk was on the cultural conditions that are favorable or unfavorable to the development of liberal democratic institutions and practices. Dr. Harrison is a critic of cultural relativism, and does not flinch from making judgments about which cultural and institutional arrangements are most conducive to economic and moral development. Dr. Harrison is Senior Research Fellow and Adjunct Lecturer at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and has written widely on this question, which is also the focus of his book, The Central Liberal Truth: How Politics Can Change a Culture and Save It from Itself (Oxford University Press, 2006).
March 6, 2007 The Center organized a panel in cooperation with the Wisconsin Union Directorate's Contemporary Issues Series. The topic of the panel was religion and politics and was called, “Unholy Alliance? Religion and Politics.” The emphasis of this event was on religious freedom and tolerance on campus and abroad. The panelists were Annie Gaylor, Co-president Freedom from Religion Foundation, Tim Kruse, President, The University of Wisconsin Roman Catholic Foundation, Robert Fowler, Professor Emeritus, Political Science Department and a pioneer in the field of “religion and politics,” and Donald A. Downs, Political Science Department.
April 23, 2007 The Center held a forum, “Free Speech in the Classroom?” on First Amendment and academic freedom issues involving the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The focus of the forum was on such questions as whether we can have free speech and also guarantee sensitivity and inclusiveness; how do we balance these values against each other; and is one more important than the other? The forum was organized with the cooperation of the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Contemporary Issues Series. Panelists were Peter C. Carstensen, Professor, Law School, Howard H. Schweber, Professor, Political Science Department, Donald A. Downs, Political Science, and Lester H. Hunt (moderator), Professor, Philosophy.
February 25, 2008 The Center sponsored a debate on the moral and political implications of voting. The provocative title of the debate—“Don't Vote! It's Immoral and It Wastes Your Time”—was designed to spur vigorous discussion about the key legitimating assumptions of liberal democracy. The speakers were Wendy McElroy, Research Fellow for the Independent Institute and author of Liberty for Women: Freedom and Feminism in the 21st Century, and Dr. Harry Brighouse, Professor, Department of Philosophy, UW-Madison. Ms. McElroy argued that there are philosophical, moral, and practical reasons to abstain from voting – even in a liberal democracy. Professor Brighouse held that it was moral to vote, although there are several conditions that must be met in order for voting to achieve maximal effects.
March 29, 2008 The Center held its first conference, “Dominations and Powers: The Nature of the State.” The conference presenters came from a variety of disciplines and areas of expertise and from the United States and England. The conference was divided into three sessions, with two speakers and one moderator for each session. The presenters and the titles of their talks were:
“The Definition of the State” by Dr. Chandran Kukathas; “How to Define the State?” by Dr. Christopher Morris; “A Humean Defense of the State” by Dr. Russell Hardin; “How Not to Justify the State” by Dr. Lester Hunt, “Order Without the State” by Dr. David D. Friedman; and “Imagine There’s No Country by Dr. Mathias Risse.”
The moderators were Dr. Harry Brighouse, Dr. Howard Schweber, and Dr. Daniel Hausman.
Spring 2009 The Center is co-sponsoring with the Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic Religions (LISAR), a three-day conference on “Religion and the Liberal State.” Topics covered will include religion in the school curriculum, religion and training for citizenship, the limits of tolerance, Islam and the state, religion, science and the state, and religion and public reason. Invited speakers will come from throughout the United States and abroad.
2008-2009 Academic Year The Center is working on raising money to fund a series of forums to be run by undergraduates. The forums will address major issues and problems in liberal education as experienced at Wisconsin and other institutions. Students will work with Center board members on topics, and will write research papers based on the topics of their respective forums. Students will receive stipends to support these projects.
