Political Culture and Character: What Plato, Aristotle, & Rousseau Mean
for Our Times
with Clare Pearson
Kibbitznest Liberal Arts Discussions are a collaboration with The University of Chicago Graham School to host presentations and discussions of original research.
We live today in a democracy which is caught in the middle of a cultural war over ethical values and, with that, radically different judgments about the meaning of character. But the divides which we face today are not something no one has seen or considered before. Three major political thinkers— Plato, Aristotle, and Rousseau— all share a significant concern with character as the key to a functioning democracy. At the same time, they reflect on how democratic values impact and shift the very possibility of developing genuinely good character. This talk will explore the changing landscapes of democracy and character, especially as we find them in Plato and Rousseau, and their respective visions of what is at stake and what can be done.
Sponsor: Kibbitznest Books, Brews & Blarney
CLARE PEARSON joined the Basic Program staff in 1997, after 10 years of undergraduate teaching at The University of Chicago and the Honors College at Valparaiso University. She is the 2008 recipient of the Graham School Excellence in Teaching Award for the Basic Program, and in addition to her classes at the basic program, currently teaches in the Humanities and Philosophy Department at Oakton Community College.
FREE & OPEN to the public
Registration is not necessary but appreciated
due to space limitations.
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