Walter A. Strauss Lecture: “Shaping the Citizen”

The second lecture in the Walter A. Strauss series, titled “Shaping the Citizen,” will be presented by philosopher Philip Kitcher of Columbia University. This lecture series, in memory of Strauss (1923-2008), who was the Elizabeth and William T. Treuhaft Professor of Humanities, is supported by funds provided by the Paul Wurzburger Endowment. The lecture will take place Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Wolstein Research Building Auditorium.

Talk details

Kitcher is known for his studies of the role of scientific inquiry in democratic societies from the perspective the philosophy of pragmatism associated with William James and John Dewey. In a series of three lectures on “Education and Democracy,” Kitcher broadens this inquiry to investigate the aims of education with emphasis on the importance of the humanities and the arts. One major goal of education is to prepare young people for participation in democratic societies. Existing educational policies tend to offer a shallow view of what is required. In this lecture, Kitcher argues for a rich and demanding conception of democracy, and for a correspondingly rich educational preparation. The first lecture in the series, “Too Many Aims,” will be presented Monday, Nov. 27, and the third and final lecture, “The Importance of the Sciences and the Arts,” will be held Friday, Dec. 1. Register online.