Victoria to host public lecture by political philosopher

Victoria to host public lecture by political philosopher

Philosopher Philip Pettit, the Laurance S. Rockefeller University Professor of Politics and Human Values at Princeton University, will deliver the inaugural Maurice Goldsmith Lecture at Victoria University on Friday 19 April.

Professor Pettit, a distinguished academic who has written widely on the republican tradition in political philosophy, will offer an account of the value of freedom, and explain how his account connects with other values, like honesty, love, justice and kindness.

Hosted by Victoria’s Philosophy programme, the annual lecture has been named in honour of the late Emeritus Professor Maurice Goldsmith, a specialist in philosophy and political theory and a long-time member of the programme.

Dr Simon Keller, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Victoria, says Professor Pettit will deliver a lecture that is accessible to a general audience, including those without a background in the field.

“Professor Pettit has spent his career applying philosophical insights to understanding our shared political life. He is an engaging speaker who shares his knowledge widely.”

Lecture title:‘Freedom and Other Robustly Demanding Goods’

Abstract: If you enjoyed freedom in a particular choice then it must be that no one interfered with the option you actually took and that no one would have interfered with any of the other options you might have taken. In that sense freedom requires robust, not just actual, non-interference. Many other goods display a similar robustly demanding profile, including the good provided by the love or friendship of others, or by their honesty, justice or kindness. The robustness of the demands imposed by such goods is worth marking, because it has deep-running, often neglected implications for ethics and politics.

When: Friday 19 April, 6–7.30pm.

Where: Rutherford House, Lecture Theatre 2, Pipitea Campus, 23 Lambton Quay.

Please email Jonette.Crysell@vuw.ac.nz by Wednesday 17 April to register for the event.
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