archive19-20

POSTPONED UNTIL FALL 2020: The Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour: Will a Wealth Tax and Higher Income Tax Rates Increase Prosperity and Opportunity in America?

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2020 22:35:10 +0000

POSTPONED UNTIL FALL 2020: The Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour: Will a Wealth Tax and Higher Income Tax Rates Increase Prosperity and Opportunity in America? Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/14/2020 - 16:35

Please Note:

The Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour Boulder campus event, scheduled for April 14, 2020, is being rescheduled for fall 2020 due to concern with COVID-19.

About this Event

The Steamboat Institute, in collaboration with the Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization at CU Boulder, cordially invites you for a evening debate over whether a wealth tax would enhance or diminish prosperity and opportunity in America. Featuring Arthur B. Laffer, Founder and Chairman, Laffer Associates, inventor of the Laffer Curve and member of President Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board; and Leslie Marshall, Democratic Strategist, National Radio Host and Fox News Contributor who provides political analysis from a liberal point of view. Moderated by Saagar Enjeti, Chief Washington Correspondent, The Hill and Hill.TV, and Tony Blankley Fellow with the Steamboat Institute. Please register for this event via Eventbrite.

The Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour Boulder campus event, scheduled for April 14, 2020, is being rescheduled for fall 2020 due to concern with COVID-19.

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HELD REMOTELY: William B. Allen: Down with Diversity

Anonymous — Wed, 13 May 2020 18:09:32 +0000

HELD REMOTELY: William B. Allen: Down with Diversity Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/13/2020 - 12:09

Please Note

William B. Allen's lecture Down with Diversity on April 13, 2020 will now be held remotely at 7 p.m. MT (please note new time).

You must register for this event via Eventbrite. After registration, but prior to the event, you will receive an email with information on how to access the lecture.

About the Lecture

The diversity regime has left higher education and much of the western world wandering in una selva oscura. Nor will we find our way clear of the self-seeding sprouts of identity politics until we renounce once and for all and intellectual indefensible and morally unsustainable commitment to diversity. The Benson Center theme for the 2019-20 academic year is "American Identities." It is fair to say, however, that the theme says too much by saying too little. That is, it announces an identity plurality without suggesting a foundation on which the plurality stands on anything more substantial than an "America" undefined. Thus, from e pluribus unum to ex unius plures has become a more likely prospect than any distinct national character. In this exploration we will weigh those prospects with an eye toward charting a path forward.

About the Speaker

William B. Allen is emeritus dean, James Madison College and emeritus professor of political philosophy at Michigan State University. Dr. Allen was the 2018-19 Benson Center Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy and is a Senior Scholar in Residence for 2019-20. He also served previously on the National Council for the Humanities and as Chairman and Member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He was previously the Ann & Herbert W. Vaughan Visiting Fellow in the James Madison Program on American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University and Visiting Senior Scholar in the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good at Villanova University. He is an expert on liberal arts education, its history, importance and problems. He is also Chairman and co-founder of Toward A Fair Michigan, whose mission was to further understanding of the equal opportunity issues involved in guaranteeing civil rights for all citizens, and to provide a civic forum for a fair and open exchange of views on the question of affirmative action.

He has published extensively, most notably, George Washington: A Collection, George Washington: America’s First Progressive , The Personal and the Political: Three Fables by Montesquieu, Re-Thinking Uncle Tom: The Political Philosophy of H. B. Stowe, Habits of Mind: Fostering Access and Excellence in Higher Education (with Carol M. Allen), The Essential Antifederalist (with Gordon Lloyd, ) and The Federalist Papers: A Commentary. He served previously on the National Council for the Humanities and as Chairman and Member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

About the Series

Dr. Allen is the organizer (with Colleen Sheehan) and concluding speaker in the Benson Center's 2019-20 American National Character lecture series. The Benson Center promotes critical reflection on the distinctive traditions and political perspectives that characterize Western civilization. It encourages residents of Colorado and the United States to more fully understand and appreciate their past, their future and a free and creative American society within an international environment.

Conservative Thought and Policy Guest Speakers bring a unique perspective as guests of the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy program. This year’s American National Character series expands on the Benson Center’s 2019-20 theme, American Identities.

The Founding generation recognized the importance of cultivating a national character, by which they meant the formation of “a people” dedicated to the principles of the American Revolution and the great experiment in self-government. Today, Americans are fragmented, disunited and unclear about what, if anything, they hold in common. The American National Character Project seeks to explore and identify principles and purposes that Americans do or might in the future share, and to discover how to provide a way forward for republican self-governance in America.

April 13, 2020, 7 p.m. This lecture will now be held remotely. Participants must register on Eventbrite to receive information on accessing this lecture.

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CANCELED: John Doody: Eight Men Out

Anonymous — Tue, 05 May 2020 19:00:32 +0000

CANCELED: John Doody: Eight Men Out Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/05/2020 - 13:00

Please Note:

John Doody's screening of Eight Men Out, scheduled for April 5, 2020 has been canceled due to concern with COVID-19. The film screening will not be rescheduled this spring.

[video:https://youtu.be/GpkYtw80lK4]

The Benson Center and the Boulder Public Library have canceled this event due to concerns regarding the coronavirus.

Baseball: America's Game? What do the Black Sox scandal and the recent revelations regarding the 2017-18 World Series wins aided by sophisticated sign stealing teach us? Join visiting CU Boulder Senior Scholar in Residence John Doody for a screening and discussion of the 1988 sports ﬁlm Eight Men Out, a docudrama of the true story of the ﬁxing of the 1919 Baseball World Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds.

April 5, 2020, 1 p.m., Boulder Public Library's Canyon Theater. In partnership with the Boulder Public Library's Doris' Sunday Matinee Film Series. Ballpark snacks will be served. No registrations required or accepted for this event.

John Doody's screening of Eight Men Out, scheduled for April 5, 2020 has been canceled due to concern with COVID-19. The film screening will not be rescheduled this spring.

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POSTPONED: The Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour: Steamboat Springs presents Colleen Sheehan and John Doody: Can Modern Americans Still Be Civic Friends?

Anonymous — Sun, 03 May 2020 07:00:00 +0000

POSTPONED: The Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour: Steamboat Springs presents Colleen Sheehan and John Doody: Can Modern Americans Still Be Civic Friends? Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 05/03/2020 - 01:00

Please Note:
Doody and Sheehan's lecture for The Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour, scheduled for April 3, 2020 has been postponed due to concern with COVID-19.

Join the Steamboat Institute and Benson Center visiting scholars Colleen Sheehan and John Doody for a discussion on the ability of modern Americans to make civic friendships. You must register for this event at www.steamboatinstitute.org.

Doody and Sheehan's lecture for The Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour, scheduled for April 3, 2020 has been postponed due to concern with COVID-19.

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EVENT CANCELED: Yuval Levin: What is National Character?

Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2020 07:00:00 +0000

EVENT CANCELED: Yuval Levin: What is National Character? Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/01/2020 - 01:00

PLEASE NOTE

Yuval Levin’s lecture, scheduled for March 31, 2020 has been canceled due to concern with COVID-19. The talk will not be rescheduled this spring.

At the center of many recent debates about nationalism has been an implicit idea of the American national character and its implications. But what exactly is a national character? What forms can it take? And what has been distinct about America’s character in ways that might inform contemporary statesmanship and citizenship? Join the Benson Center and the Editor of National Affairs, Yuval Levin, to explore these questions on March 31. This event is free and open to the public. Please register via Eventbrite.

About the Speaker

Yuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute and the editor of National Affairs. He is a contributing editor to National Review and his essays and articles have appeared in numerous publications includingThe New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Commentary, and many others. He is the author, most recently, of A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to our Institutions Could Revive the American Dream. He has been a member of the White House domestic policy staff (under President George W. Bush) and a congressional staffer. He holds a PhD from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago.

About the Conservative Thought & Policy American National Character Project

The Benson Center promotes critical reflection on the distinctive traditions and political perspectives that characterize Western civilization. It encourages residents of Colorado and the United States to more fully understand and appreciate their past, their future and a free and creative American society within an international environment. Conservative Thought and Policy Guest Speakers bring a unique perspective as guests of the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy program. This year’s series, the “American National Character Project” expands on the Benson Center’s 2019-20 theme, American Identities. The series is sponsored by the Ryan Foundation.

Upcoming lectures in this series include William B. Allen (April 13).

Yuval Levin’s lecture, scheduled for March 31, 2020 has been canceled due to concern with COVID-19. The talk will not be rescheduled this spring.

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EVENT CANCELED: Seth Schein on the Generic Expectations and the Interpretation of Attic Tragedy: Preliminary Questions and Cognitive Considerations

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 22:46:50 +0000

EVENT CANCELED: Seth Schein on the Generic Expectations and the Interpretation of Attic Tragedy: Preliminary Questions and Cognitive Considerations Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 04/19/2020 - 16:46

Seth Schein's lecture Generic Expactations and the Interpretation of Attic Tragedy: Preliminary Questions and Cognititve Considerations, scheduled for March 19, 2020 has been canceled due to concern with COVID-19. The talk will not be rescheduled this spring.

Seth Schein's lecture, scheduled for March 19, 2020 has been canceled due to concern with COVID-19. The talk will not be rescheduled this spring.

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Celia Schultz: Fulvia and the Perusine War

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 21:37:46 +0000

Celia Schultz: Fulvia and the Perusine War Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/15/2020 - 15:37

Who was Fulvia? Was she the driving force during the siege of Perugia in 43 BCE, leading men into battle? This lecture will explore the contradictory literary and material sources surrounding Fulvia, wife of Mark Antony.

March 15, 2020. Eaton Humanities RM 135, 5 p.m.

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Eric Schwitzgebel: We Might Soon Build AI Who Deserve Rights

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 18:03:26 +0000

Eric Schwitzgebel: We Might Soon Build AI Who Deserve Rights Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 04/12/2020 - 12:03

The Center for Values and Social Policy with help from the Benson Center presents a Think! Talk, "We Might Soon Build AI Who Deserve Rights" by University of California Professor, Eric Schwitzgebel.

March 12, 2020. Hellems RM 252 at 5 p.m.

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EVENT CANCELED: Daniel J. Mahoney: Between Religion and Pure Democracy: Tocqueville and the American Character Then and Now

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:36:09 +0000

EVENT CANCELED: Daniel J. Mahoney: Between Religion and Pure Democracy: Tocqueville and the American Character Then and Now Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/10/2020 - 12:36

PLEASE NOTE

Daniel J. Mahoney’s lecture, scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, has been canceled due to concern with the coronavirus. The talk will not be rescheduled this spring.

About the Lecture

With the help of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (two volumes, 1835 and 1840) and his numerous letters written from North America, Daniel J. Mahoney will explore some tensions in the American character that have only been exacerbated since Tocqueville’s time. Americans, Tocqueville shows, were and are dedicated to material gratification, free government, a religiosity at once vague and substantial, and abstractions that owe more to pure democracy than republican self-government. And yet they are a free and decent people. Can this equilibrium hold or will pure democracy win out over the best “republican" features of the American character? Please register for this event via Eventbrite. Free and open to the public.

About the Speaker

Daniel J. Mahoney holds the Augustine Chair in Distinguished Scholarship at Assumption College, where he has taught since 1986. He is a specialist in French political philosophy, anti-totalitarian thought, and the intersection of religion and politics. His books include The Liberal Political Science of Raymond Aron (1992), De Gaulle: Statesmanship, Grandeur, and Modern Democracy (1996), The Conservative Foundations of the Liberal Order (2010), and The Other Solzhenitsyn: Telling the Truth about a Misunderstood Writer and Thinker (2014). He is executive editor of Perspectives on Political Science and book review editor of Society. In 1999, he was awarded the Prix Raymond Aron. He received his BA from the College of Holy Cross and his MA and PhD from Catholic University of America in political science.

About the American National Character Series

The Benson Center promotes critical reflection on the distinctive traditions and political perspectives that characterize Western civilization. It encourages residents of Colorado and the United States to more fully understand and appreciate their past, their future and a free and creative American society within an international environment. Conservative Thought and Policy Guest Speakers bring a unique perspective as guests of the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy program. This year’s series, the “American National Character Project,” expands on the Benson Center’s 2019-20 theme, American Identities.

Daniel J. Mahoney’s lecture, scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, has been canceled due to concern with the coronavirus. The talk will not be rescheduled this spring.

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Stephen Cambone: National Leadership, Policy Choices and American Character

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 20:25:19 +0000

Stephen Cambone: National Leadership, Policy Choices and American Character Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/25/2020 - 13:25

In this provocative lecture, Stephen Cambone will review the influence of national leadership in forming the American character. Beginning with Washington, through Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Barack Obama, he will present the efforts each made to shape the American character in the context of prevailing circumstances and in support of their preferred choices of policy. His presentation underscores the influence the choices the electorate will make in the coming months and years on the American character. Please register for this event via Eventbrite. Free and open to the public.

About the Speaker

Stephen Cambone is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Cyber Initiatives at The Texas A&M University System. At Texas A&M University, Cambone is responsible for developing a System-wide interdisciplinary cybersecurity program. In this role, he works with the academic and research professors and the Schools and Centers at the flagship campus, Texas A&M, and with several other universities within the A&M System, and state-wide agencies with cybersecurity responsibilities.

Stephen Cambone was appointed as the first Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence (USDI), preceded by service in the Department of Defense as the Director of the Office for Program Analysis and Evaluation, and as the Principal Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy. He previously was responsible, as staff director, for the design and execution of two congressionally mandated studies, one on the ballistic missile threat to the US, the other on the organization and management of the nation’s space capabilities.

Stephen Cambone has experience in business, including service as president of a $500 Million business unit and as a board member for private-sector companies.

Stephen Cambone received his BA from The Catholic University of America and his MA and PhD from Claremont Graduate School. He has taught as a senior fellow and adjunct at Villanova University and Johns Hopkins University, respectively.

About the Conservative Thought & Policy American National Character Project

Upcoming lectures in this series include Danielle Allen (Feb. 18), Daniel J. Mahoney (March 10), Yuval Levin (March 31) and William B. Allen (April 13).

Feb. 25, 2020. Hale RM 230, 5:30 p.m.

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