HR Book Salon: Ben Laurence - "Agents of Change"

1126 East 59th Street,Chicago IL 60637

12 January, 2022

Description

Ben Laurence, Associate Instructional Professor, will speak about his new book, "Agents of Change: Political Philosophy in Practice" Join the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights for this Winter'’s first Human Rights Book Salon. Ben Laurence will discuss his new book Agents of Change: Political Philosophy in Practice (Harvard University Press). It was selected by the Seminary Co-op as a notable book for 2021! The appeal of political philosophy is that it will answer questions about justice for the sake of political action. In Agents of Change, Laurence argues that we can combine utopian justice (abstract questions of justice) and the practical response to injustice in a political philosophy that unifies theory and practice in pursuit of change. Political philosophy is not a purely normative theory disconnected from practice. Rather, the task of political philosophy is not complete until it answers the question “What is to be done?” and comes all the way back to agents of change in their struggle against injustice. Ben will be in conversation with Jim Conant, Chester D. Tripp Professor of Humanities and Matthias Haase, Assistant Professor of Philosophy. The Seminar Co-op Bookstore will have copies available for purchase. About the Author: Ben Laurence is Associate Instructional Professor in the Social Sciences Collegiate Division and the Division of Social Sciences, and he teaches courses on the philosophical foundations of human rights, as well as in the Human Rights in World Civilizations Core sequence. COVID Guidance: This convening is open to all invitees who are compliant with UChicago vaccination requirementsand, because of ongoing health risks, particularly to the unvaccinated, participants are expected to adopt the risk mitigation measures (masking and social distancing, etc.) appropriate to their vaccination statusas advised by public health officials or to their individual vulnerabilities as advised by a medical professional. Public convening may not be safe for all and carries a risk for contracting COVID-19, particularly for those unvaccinated. Participants will not know the vaccination status of others and should follow appropriate risk mitigation measures. A zoom link will be provided to those who register. The Pozen Family Center for Human Rights at the University of Chicago supports innovative interdisciplinary teaching and research initiatives that critically explore the theory and practice of global human rights.