Liberty Fund & SFL Symposia

Starting in 2011 Students For Liberty partnered with the Liberty Fund Inc. to host a new project for students with a passion for developing their intellectual understanding of liberty – The Students For Liberty & Liberty Fund Symposia: Exploring the Foundations of a Free Society.

Founded in 1960 by Indianapolis businessman and lawyer Pierre F. Goodrich, The Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.  Their logo, the Amagi, is the earliest-known written appearance of the word “freedom”.

We successfully hosted 3 co-sponsored symposia in 2011-2012 and are excited to announce that we will be holding 3 more in 2012-2013.  These three-day events are built around a Socratic discussion of the topic between fifteen student participants and an academic discussion leader.  Over the past fifty years scores of aspiring intellectuals have attended Liberty Fund events to discuss and debate the ideas of liberty with their brightest peers.

Application to these events is very competitive.  The ideal candidate is eager to contribute to a lively intellectual discussion on the topic at hand.  Each attendee will be required to complete a set of readings leading up to the symposium (readings provided by SFL).  Participation in the entire symposium is mandatory, so do not apply unless you can attend all sessions.

Housing, meals, and materials will be provided by SFL.  Transportation to and from the conference is the responsibility of the participant.

The Institutions of Liberty
August 3-5 – Washington, DC

Description: This conference seeks to address the relationship between freedom, markets, and culture in both a narrow and broad sense. While competitive markets lead to wealthier societies with superior opportunities for individuals to employ their talents and labor, questions remain for many regarding the proper cultural and moral underpinnings of markets. Criticisms are frequently leveled against markets that they undermine familial and cultural stability by promotion of a ubiquitous individualism unmoored from any tradition or larger social order.  Another key aspect of this conference will be to evaluate (through several readings by Friedrich Hayek) the proposition that free markets are not derivative of a larger political, social, legal, and cultural order, but that they act as the pillars of a free society. Markets are not parasitical, but are instead crucial to the continual advancement of individual liberty and to the overall health and stability of any society.

Our discussion leader will be Dr. David Schmidtz, the founder of the University of Arizona Freedom Center and one of the preeminent libertarian philosophers today.

• Start Date/Time: Friday, August 3 at 5:00pm Eastern Time
• End Date/Time: Sunday, August 5 at 1:00pm Eastern Time
• Location: Washington, DC
• Application Link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LFAug2012
• Application Deadline: Friday, May 18

The reading list includes passages from:

• The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith (full book provided)
• The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith (full book provided)
• Human Action, Volume 1: A Treatise on Economics  (full book provided)
• Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman
• Human Nature: An Economic Perspective by Vernon Smith
  
• Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy by Joseph A. Schumpeter
• The Use of Knowledge in Society by F.A. Hayek
  
• New Studies in Philosophy, Politics, Economics and the History of Ideas by F.A. Hayek
  
• A Humane Economy: The Social Framework of the Free Market by Wilhelm Röpke

The application deadline is Friday, May 18 and decisions will be made on a rolling basis, so submit your application now here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LFAug2012

Upcoming Liberty Fund & SFL Symposia

“The Institutions of Liberty”
August 3-5, 2012 – Washington, DC
Discussion Leader: Professor

“Hayek & Keynes on Human Nature & Liberty”
March 9-11, 2013 – New York, NY
Discussion Leader: tbd

“Thomas Paine & Edmund Burke on the French Revolution of 1789″
March 22-24, 2013, San Diego, CA
Discussion Leader: tbd

Applications for upcoming symposia will be announced approximately 4 months before the event.

Past Liberty Fund & SFL Symposia

“The Institutions of Liberty”
August 5-7, 2011– Arlington, VA
Discussion Leader: Professor John Tomasi, Brown University

“Hayek & Keynes on Human Nature & Liberty”
March 9-11, 2012 – Irvington, NY (@ The FEE House)
Discussion Leader: Professor Tawni Ferrarini, Northern Michigan University

“Thomas Paine & Edmund Burke on the French Revolution of 1789″
March 23-25, San Diego, CA
Discussion Leader: Professor Matt Zwolinski, University of San Diego