Previous Seminar Series
2016-2017: Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought
In 2016-2017 we hosted the seminar series, "Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought," a series made possible by a generous donation from the Jack Miller Center as part of their Commercial Republic Initiative in association with the John Templeton Foundation. The following is a list of the lectures that were held. In addition to these lectures, graduate student seminars were held.
February 3: Caroline Winterer (Department of History, Stanford), "Was there an American Enlightenment?"
February 24: Jeffrey Church (Department of Political Science, Houston), "Liberalism and the Meaning of Life in Immanuel Kant."
2015-2016: Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought
In 2015-2016 we hosted the seminar series, "Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought," a series made possible by a generous donation from the Jack Miller Center as part of their Commercial Republic Initiative in association with the John Templeton Foundation. The following is a list of the lectures that were held. In addition to these lectures, graduate student seminars were held.
January 25: Ronald Beiner (Department of Political Science, University of Toronto), "Rousseau's Place in the Civil-Religion Tradition."
April 7: Christine Dunn Henderson (Liberty Fund, Inc.), "Tocqueville and Modern Individualism."
April 18: Kinch Hoekstra (Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley), "Hobbes and the Politics of the Future."
May 2: Douglas Thompson (Department of Political Science, University of South Carolina), "Montaigne and the Tolerance of Politics: Negotiating Capacities in the Essais"
May 16: Arlene Saxonhouse (Department of Political Science, University of Michigan), "The Pacificus/Helvidius Debates: Confronting the Moral Status of the State in the Early Republic."
May 27: Paul Weithman (Department of Philosophy, Notre Dame University), "Representation and Sovereignty in Hobbes's Christian Commonwealth."
2014-2015: Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought
In 2014-2015 we hosted the seminar series, "Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought," a series made possible by a generous donation from the Jack Miller Center as part of their Commercial Republic Initiative in association with the John Templeton Foundation. The following is a list of the lectures that were held. In addition to these lectures, graduate student seminars were held.
February 17: Julie Cooper (Department of Political Science, Tel Aviv University), "Democracy and Theocracy in Jewish Political Thought: From Baruch Spinoza to Michael Walzer."
April 3: Allen Wood (Department of Philosophy, Indiana University and Stanford University), "Moses Mendelssohn on Religious Freedom."
May 8: Teresa Bejan (Department of Political Science, University of Toronto), "Wars of Words: Toleration, Civility, and Disagreement in Early Modern Political Thought."
June 5: Susan Shell (Boston College): "Kant and Religion"
2013-2014: Machiavelli and the Republican Tradition Revisited
In 2013-2014 we hosted the seminar series, "Machiavelli and the Republican Tradition Revisited," sponsored by a generous gift from the Jack Miller Center. Below is a list of the lectures that were given. In addition to these lectures, graduate student seminars were held as well.
January 31: Michelle Clarke (Department of Government, Dartmouth College), "After the Inundation: Machiavelli and the Making of the Modern World."
February 28: John Najemy (Department of History, Cornell University), "Machiavelli and History."
April 25: Alison McQueen (Department of Political Science, Stanford University), "Politics in Apocalyptic Times: Machiavelli's Savonarolan Moment."
May 9: Catherine Zuckert (Department of Political Science, University of Notre Dame), "Machiavelli's Republic."
May 30: Vickie Sullivan (Department of Political Science, Tufts University), "The Greatness of Machiavelli and the Despotic Disease Both of His Principalities and of His Republics."
2012-2013: Scottish Enlightenment At Home and Abroad
Our 2012-2013 seminar series, "The Scottish Enlightenment At Home and Abroad," made possible by a generous donation from the Jack Miller Center, was a great success. Below is a list of the lectures given. In addition to these lectures, graduate student seminars were held as well.
January 11: Richard B. Sher (Department of History, New Jersey Institute of Technology/Rutgers University-Newark): “Books, the Book Trade, and the Transatlantic Scottish Enlightenment”
February 15: Ryan Patrick Hanley (Department of Political Science, Marquette University): "Adam Smith on What the West Can Learn from China"
March 18: Jennifer Pitts (Department of Political Science, University of Chicago): "The Scottish Enlightenment and Global History"
April 26: Daniel Kapust (Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin): "The Style is the Man: Cicero, Smith, and Propriety"
May 10: Michael Zuckert (Department of Political Science, Notre Dame University): "The Scottish Connection: David Hume, James Madison, and American Constitutionalism"
May 21: Samuel Fleischacker (Department of Philosophy, University of Illinois, Chicago): "The Rhetoric of Smith's Wealth of Nations"
2016-2017: Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought
In 2016-2017 we hosted the seminar series, "Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought," a series made possible by a generous donation from the Jack Miller Center as part of their Commercial Republic Initiative in association with the John Templeton Foundation. The following is a list of the lectures that were held. In addition to these lectures, graduate student seminars were held.
February 3: Caroline Winterer (Department of History, Stanford), "Was there an American Enlightenment?"
February 24: Jeffrey Church (Department of Political Science, Houston), "Liberalism and the Meaning of Life in Immanuel Kant."
2015-2016: Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought
In 2015-2016 we hosted the seminar series, "Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought," a series made possible by a generous donation from the Jack Miller Center as part of their Commercial Republic Initiative in association with the John Templeton Foundation. The following is a list of the lectures that were held. In addition to these lectures, graduate student seminars were held.
January 25: Ronald Beiner (Department of Political Science, University of Toronto), "Rousseau's Place in the Civil-Religion Tradition."
April 7: Christine Dunn Henderson (Liberty Fund, Inc.), "Tocqueville and Modern Individualism."
April 18: Kinch Hoekstra (Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley), "Hobbes and the Politics of the Future."
May 2: Douglas Thompson (Department of Political Science, University of South Carolina), "Montaigne and the Tolerance of Politics: Negotiating Capacities in the Essais"
May 16: Arlene Saxonhouse (Department of Political Science, University of Michigan), "The Pacificus/Helvidius Debates: Confronting the Moral Status of the State in the Early Republic."
May 27: Paul Weithman (Department of Philosophy, Notre Dame University), "Representation and Sovereignty in Hobbes's Christian Commonwealth."
2014-2015: Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought
In 2014-2015 we hosted the seminar series, "Faith, Philosophy, and Politics in Modern Political Thought," a series made possible by a generous donation from the Jack Miller Center as part of their Commercial Republic Initiative in association with the John Templeton Foundation. The following is a list of the lectures that were held. In addition to these lectures, graduate student seminars were held.
February 17: Julie Cooper (Department of Political Science, Tel Aviv University), "Democracy and Theocracy in Jewish Political Thought: From Baruch Spinoza to Michael Walzer."
April 3: Allen Wood (Department of Philosophy, Indiana University and Stanford University), "Moses Mendelssohn on Religious Freedom."
May 8: Teresa Bejan (Department of Political Science, University of Toronto), "Wars of Words: Toleration, Civility, and Disagreement in Early Modern Political Thought."
June 5: Susan Shell (Boston College): "Kant and Religion"
2013-2014: Machiavelli and the Republican Tradition Revisited
In 2013-2014 we hosted the seminar series, "Machiavelli and the Republican Tradition Revisited," sponsored by a generous gift from the Jack Miller Center. Below is a list of the lectures that were given. In addition to these lectures, graduate student seminars were held as well.
January 31: Michelle Clarke (Department of Government, Dartmouth College), "After the Inundation: Machiavelli and the Making of the Modern World."
February 28: John Najemy (Department of History, Cornell University), "Machiavelli and History."
April 25: Alison McQueen (Department of Political Science, Stanford University), "Politics in Apocalyptic Times: Machiavelli's Savonarolan Moment."
May 9: Catherine Zuckert (Department of Political Science, University of Notre Dame), "Machiavelli's Republic."
May 30: Vickie Sullivan (Department of Political Science, Tufts University), "The Greatness of Machiavelli and the Despotic Disease Both of His Principalities and of His Republics."
2012-2013: Scottish Enlightenment At Home and Abroad
Our 2012-2013 seminar series, "The Scottish Enlightenment At Home and Abroad," made possible by a generous donation from the Jack Miller Center, was a great success. Below is a list of the lectures given. In addition to these lectures, graduate student seminars were held as well.
January 11: Richard B. Sher (Department of History, New Jersey Institute of Technology/Rutgers University-Newark): “Books, the Book Trade, and the Transatlantic Scottish Enlightenment”
February 15: Ryan Patrick Hanley (Department of Political Science, Marquette University): "Adam Smith on What the West Can Learn from China"
March 18: Jennifer Pitts (Department of Political Science, University of Chicago): "The Scottish Enlightenment and Global History"
April 26: Daniel Kapust (Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin): "The Style is the Man: Cicero, Smith, and Propriety"
May 10: Michael Zuckert (Department of Political Science, Notre Dame University): "The Scottish Connection: David Hume, James Madison, and American Constitutionalism"
May 21: Samuel Fleischacker (Department of Philosophy, University of Illinois, Chicago): "The Rhetoric of Smith's Wealth of Nations"