news20-21

Benson Center launches "The Free Mind" podcast

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 16:50:25 +0000

Benson Center launches "The Free Mind" podcast Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/01/2021 - 10:50

The Free Mind, a new podcast from the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, premieres Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021.

The podcast explores topics in Western philosophy, politics, literature, and history with adventurous disregard for academic fashions and intellectual trends.

Host Shilo Brooks, Benson Center associate faculty director and faculty director of the Engineering Leadership Program in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, invites listeners to pull up a chair in an intellectual laboratory where great questions and great books are explored in the spirit of truth-seeking, and conversations are had in a candid style free of scholarly jargon.

New episodes in Season 1 will air on the second Tuesday of each month, from Sept. 14 through Dec.14, 2021.

Visit The Free Mind podcast website to learn more, listen and subscribe.

Upcoming Episodes

Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021

Shilo Brooks, Benson Center Associate Faculty Director

"Introduction to the Free Mind Podcast"

In this brief opening segment, Shilo Brooks welcomes listeners to engage with professors and public intellectuals in a venue where good faith is granted at the door, and the clear and reasonable expression of ideas is valued more highly than adherence to any ideology or school of thought.

Airs Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021

Wayne Ambler, "The Enduring Importance of Rome"

Season One of The Free Mind podcast launches with a conversation between Shilo Brooks and Wayne Ambler, associate professor emeritus at CU �鶹ӰԺ and former dean and director of the Rome Program at the University of Dallas’ Rome Campus. Ambler explores the city’s historical development, its influence on Western Liberalism and the American Founding, the lessons it can teach today’s students, and its place in the broader history of political philosophy.

"Rome represents a reservoir of case studies, like no other place that I can think of. In its long history, it gives us all sorts of political and social problems that we can study. Social and political problems experienced by a sophisticated society on the grand scale."

Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021

Glenn Loury, "Unspeakable Truths about Racial Inequality in America"

Glenn Loury, the Merton P. Stoltz Professor of Economics at Brown University, is not only an acclaimed economic theorist, he’s also among the leading critics writing on racial inequality in America from a heterodox point of view.

"I know that for the sake of the dignity and self-respect of my people and for the future of my country, we American intellectuals of all colors must never lose sight of what a moral way of life consists in. And yet we are in danger of doing precisely that, I fear."

Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021

Lucas Morel, "The Life and Writings of Frederick Douglass"

Lucas Morel is the John K. Boardman, Jr. Professor of Politics and head of the Politics Department at Washington and Lee University. In this episode Morel discusses Frederick Douglass: the political lessons of his autobiographies; his thoughts on freedom, religion, and the Constitution; and how his reflections on slavery and race enrich contemporary civil rights discussions.

"Douglass was asked one time, if you were president of the United States, what would you be known for? And after Douglass stopped laughing, he said equality under the law, equality under the law, that he was just rock solid on that."

Airs Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021

Patty Limerick, "The Legacy of Conquest and the History of the American West"

History professor Patty Limerick is founding director of the CU �鶹ӰԺ Center of the American West, and author of The Legacy of Conquest. We explore her challenge to, and affection for, the myth of the West, the continuing relevance of applied history, and the role humor should play in public and academic discourse.

“We so have to remember about the people of the past is that they live on the edge of a future that they cannot see, which we will see because time has rolled on, and they did not have that privilege.”

Premieres Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021

Jeff Black, "The Great Books and Liberal Education"

Jeff Black is a professor at St. John’s College, a unique great books college with campuses in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Black explores what the so-called “great books” are, how reading them can provide a liberal education, and why they’re more relevant than ever in today’s political and cultural landscape.

"I think if the book is truly great, what you find is that it has two qualities, and I call those qualities intensity and extent or comprehensiveness."

Premieres Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021

Joshua Katz, "Cancel Culture and its Discontents"

Joshua Katz is Costen Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Classics at Princeton. Katz’s uncontroversial intellectual pursuits and his warm and fair-minded demeanor make the story of his attempted "cancellation" at Princeton all the more surprising. Katz reflects on his experience and discusses potential threats to the truth-seeking mission of higher education.

"Outside marginal though very important exceptions, such as child pornography and incitement to violence, free speech is a bedrock principle. It is an American principle, not a partisan matter. And if we cannot agree even on this, then we truly are lost as a nation."

Premieres Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021

Colleen Sheehan, "Jane Austen's Emma"

The final episode of Season One features Colleen Sheehan, professor of political science and director of graduate studies at Arizona State University’s School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. Sheehan discusses what makes Jane Austen’s characters so enduring, the lessons Austen teaches about love in her novel Emma, and what readers can learn from Austen’s complex use of language and penetrating psychological insights into human nature.

"I think with Austen, it's the combination of just how incredibly brilliant and insightful and witty and provocative she is....She never lectures us, but she shows us how we could become better people and how that might lead us down a path to a happier life."

Apple Podcast Google Play Spotify SoundCloud Stitcher YouTube

Sept. 1, 2021

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CU leadership discussion to feature Benson Center assoc. faculty director Brooks

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 20:25:20 +0000

CU leadership discussion to feature Benson Center assoc. faculty director Brooks Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/27/2021 - 14:25

Coloradan Conversations: Leadership

Wed., Sept. 8, 2021, 5:30 p.m.

At this virtual event, attendees will discuss the evolving nature of leadership, a topic highlighted in the Summer 2021 issue. Panelists will include moderator and former Denver City Council President Albus Brooks (RelSt’01), Shilo Brooks, Benson Center associate faculty director and faculty director of the Engineering Leadership Program, Stefanie K. Johnson, associate professor of organizational leadership and information analytics, and Brian Muriithi (AeroEngr’22), a student in the Engineering Leadership Program.

Join the Conversation

Aug. 27, 2021

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CU dialogue series builds bridges across ideological differences

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 23:56:56 +0000

CU dialogue series builds bridges across ideological differences Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 08/23/2021 - 17:56

The Benson Center is partnering with a group of CU students, staff and faculty, led by Dr. Matthew Burgess, to organize a dialogue series aimed at building empathy and understanding across political and other divisions. The group meets Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom. The kickoff meeting is Friday, Aug. 27, 2021. The group welcomes CU people and the larger community from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Questions? Email Matt Burgess.

Dr. Burgess, who received the inaugural Heterodox Academic Teachiing Award in 2020 "for the educator who has most effectively integrated open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, or constructive disagreement into the classroom and/or curriculum," is co-author of the blog Campus Dialogues to Reduce Political Polarization - Heterodox Academy. Burgess, a Benson Center 2021-22 faculty fellow, is an assistant professor in the Environmental Studies Program, a faculty affiliate in Economics, and a fellow at the Cooperative Institute in Environmental Sciences (CIRES).

Aug. 23, 2021

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CU in D.C. student intern works on bipartisan infrastructure bill

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 19:11:53 +0000

CU in D.C. student intern works on bipartisan infrastructure bill Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/04/2021 - 13:11

Belinda Nicholas, a rising junior at CU �鶹ӰԺ, interned with Senator John Hickenlooper in summer 2021 through the CU in D.C. program. Her internship was partially funded by the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization. Her favorite part of interning with Senator Hickenlooper was working on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, researching and summarizing methods to fund the package.

Although her internship was remote, Belinda visited the Capitol Building on various occasions to attend the annual speaker series, featuring congressmen and senators. Sen. Bob Casey’s (D - PA) lecture was particularly memorable as she was able to ask him a question for her research paper.

Belinda’s favorite way to wake up was a run to the monuments each morning, first passing the Lincoln Memorial, then the Washington Monument and eventually to the Capitol Building. She also ran to the White House several times. Belinda thought it fun to be in the midst of politics, listening to a podcast or reading the news, about something happening a couple of miles away.

Belinda enjoyed living in Washington, D.C. with her best friends, and met many other wonderful people with similar goals and interests. They enjoyed paddle boarding, visiting museums, and exploring the city. Belinda hiked in Shenandoah National Park and visited Chesapeake Bay. She loved sightseeing in Georgetown and enjoyed doing homework in Blue Bottle Cafe. Belinda made unforgettable memories. She says she will definitely be back.

The Benson Center promotes study of the intellectual, artistic and political traditions that characterize Western civilization. The Center offers a forum for free inquiry and supports academic freedom and intellectual diversity on campus in a time of increasing political polarization and homogeneity. For more information about Benson Center student resources visit /center/benson/.

Aug. 4, 2021

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Benson Center invites applications for 2022-23 Visiting Scholar position

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 21:25:11 +0000

Benson Center invites applications for 2022-23 Visiting Scholar position Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/21/2021 - 15:25

The College of Arts and Sciences at the �鶹ӰԺ invites applications for the position of Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy for the academic year 2022-23. We seek a highly visible individual who is deeply engaged in either the analytical scholarship or practice of conservative thinking and policymaking, or both. Thus, applications are welcome from the academic, policy, military and media communities, among others. The Visiting Scholar will continue a tradition of fostering intellectual diversity on the �鶹ӰԺ campus through the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization. Application Available Here

July 21, 2021

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CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Benson Center names 2021-22 scholars in residence, faculty fellows

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 21:46:10 +0000

CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Benson Center names 2021-22 scholars in residence, faculty fellows Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/20/2021 - 15:46

The Benson Center at the �鶹ӰԺ has announced the appointment of two scholars in residence and three faculty fellows for the 2021-22 academic year. They join previously announced Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy (VSCTP) Alan S. Kahan and Visiting Research Professor David McPherson.

Fundamental to the Benson Center's mission is expanding the richness and diversity of academic collaborations, dialogues and curricula across the university by sponsoring annual fellowships for faculty and scholars from other institutions and from CU. The academic-year program offers visiting and CU �鶹ӰԺ faculty an opportunity to join an interdisciplinary campus community which fosters research, debate and dialogue on the fundamental issues of our time and explores the enduring ideas of the Western intellectual tradition. Scholars in Residence and Fellows teach, participate in research seminars, represent the Center at events, interact with guest speakers, colleagues and students, shape programming and participate in the broader intellectual life of the Center. Since 2015, more than 30 visiting and CU faculty have participated in the program.

Catherine (Catie) Steidl, scholar in residence with the Classics Department, is returning for a second year. Steidl received her PhD from Brown University in 2018. Steidl has conducted archaeological fieldwork in multiple countries, most recently at Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey and was a Lecturer at Dartmouth College. Her research focuses on the dynamics of community belonging and interaction in the 1st millennium BCE, the processes of migration in the Mediterranean during this period, and how material culture can be used to study identity and interaction in contexts of cross-cultural interaction and mobility, In fall 2021, Dr. Steidl will again teach Mediterranean Migrations, a course of her own design which deals directly with the topics and themes of her research.

Tristan Rogers, scholar in residence with the Philosophy Department, was a Lecturer in Philosophy at UC Davis and CSU, Sacramento. He completed his PhD at the University of Arizona in 2017. Rogers works in political philosophy, ethics, and ancient philosophy. His book, The Authority of Virtue: Institutions and Character in the Good Society, was published by Routledge in November 2020. He is currently working on his next book, under contract with Routledge, tentatively titled Conservatism Past and Present: A Philosophical Introduction. Rogers grew up in Canada and lives in Sacramento with his wife, two daughters, and dog, Argos. In his spare time, he enjoys writing and playing music. In fall 2021, Dr. Rogers will teach History of Ancient Philosophy.

The three new Benson Center Faculty Fellows were selected from faculty rostered in academic disciplines across the CU �鶹ӰԺ campus.

Matthew Burgess is an assistant professor in the Environmental Studies Program, a faculty affiliate in Economics, and a fellow at the Cooperative Institute in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). His research interests are economic growth futures and their environmental impacts, natural resource management and conservation, mathematical modeling of human-environment systems, and political polarization of environmental issues. Burgess has worked extensively on promoting intellectual diversity and dialog on campus, including organizing the CU Reducing Polarization Dialog series and developing a course (ENVS 3555) that centers these ideals in an environmental context. These efforts which were recognized with a 2020 Heterodox Academy Open Inquiry Award. Burgess has a BSc from the University of Toronto and a PhD from the University of Minnesota. As a faculty fellow, Burgess is interested in exploring “new collaborative programming opportunities around reducing polarization of climate change and environmental issues.”

Paul Diduch, an instructor in the Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics & Society, also directs the Herbst Certificate for Engineering, Ethics & Society and the Herbst “Culture Wars in Rome” study abroad program at CU �鶹ӰԺ. Diduch considers himself first and primarily a scholar of ancient philosophy, mainly Platonic philosophy, and secondarily a student, teacher, and researcher of the history and philosophy of science, with special emphasis on the cultural and political implications of technology. Diduch has an MA in Political Science/Political Theory from the University of Alberta and a PhD from the Institute of Philosophic Studies at the University of Dallas. Diduch says, “I think it is especially important for students to see the virtues of liberal debate, intellectual charity, and genuine freedom of thought reflected in [Benson Center] public forums.”

Taylor Jaworski is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics. His research and teaching interests are in economic history and economic geography. Jaworski has been a regular participant in Benson Center faculty seminars and a host/panelist in several events including lectures with Jared Rubin and Noel Johnson, and the Hamilton: The Man Behind the Musical panel discussion. Jaworski received his BA from The George Washington University, MSc from the London School of Economics and PhD from the University of Arizona. Jaworski is particularly interested in bringing lecturers to CU “that can speak to researchers in a range of fields as well as engage with the public on the critical issues of our time.”

For more information visit /center/benson/.

July 20, 2021

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Daniel Jacobson: J. S. Mill on the Liberties of Conscience

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 14:49:58 +0000

Daniel Jacobson: J. S. Mill on the Liberties of Conscience Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/12/2021 - 08:49

Prof. Daniel Jacobson’s latest paper on John Stuart Mill and freedom of expression has been published as the lead article in Social Philosophy and Policy, available here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/social-philosophy-and-policy/article/defense-of-mills-argument-for-the-practical-inseparability-of-the-liberties-of-conscience-and-the-absolutism-it-entails/5EA3008EF639F3A640661A69D846C6F6. Jacobson directs the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization and is the Bruce D. Benson Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado �鶹ӰԺ.

A Defense of Mill's Argument for the "Practical Inseparabiilty" of the Liberties of Conscience (and the Absolutism it Entails)

Mill advocated an unqualified defense of the liberty of conscience in the most comprehensive sense, which he understood to include not just the freedom to hold but also to express any opinion or sentiment. Yet considerable dispute persists about the nature of Mill’s argument for freedom of expression and whether his premises can support so strong a conclusion. Two prominent interpretations of Mill that threaten to undermine his uncompromising defense of free speech are considered and refuted. A better interpretation can be founded on Mill’s claim that the liberties of conscience are inseparable in practice. This claim can be defended with modern psychological insight about the nature of cognitive bias, and epistemological insight about why justification of creedal beliefs requires the universal toleration of opinion, insights which are largely anticipated by Mill. This argument is especially vital because it highlights the divide between classical liberalism and progressivism that has become a flashpoint in the current political debate over free speech.

July 12, 2021

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