RSA - Martha Nussbaum on 21st Century Enlightenment

Martha Nussbaum on 21st Century Enlightenment

16th Dec 2010; 13:00

(full recording including audience Q&A)
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RSA Thursday

Distinguished scholar and philosopher Martha Nussbaum visits the RSA for a special "in conversation" event with RSA Chief Executive Matthew Taylor.

The RSA has in recent months been focusing its mission under the new strapline of 21st century enlightenment. The idea pays tribute to the society's 18th century coffeehouse origins and to the pioneering spirit of its founders, who were convinced of humanity's capacity for principled progress.

It also acknowledges that we may now have to consider whether the ideas and values which transformed our world in the last two centuries remain sufficient to finding solutions to the challenges facing us today. The RSA's focus on 21st century enlightenment invites us to return to core principles of autonomy, universalism and humanism, restoring dimensions which have been lost and seeing new ways to fulfil these ideals.

At the RSA, Matthew Taylor and Martha Nussbaum will explore the value of a concept such as 21st century enlightenment, and discuss ways in which the set of attitudes, values and practices it implies could help more of us lead the good life in the good society.

Speaker: Martha Nussbaum, Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at The University of Chicago and author of Not For Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities.

Chair: Matthew Taylor, chief executive, RSA.

Suggested hashtag for Twitter users: #21ce