Libertas: How the Romans Invented Modern Freedom

Modern freedom is a concept we often take for granted. However, in most societies for most of human history, this concept of freedom was not even recognized. So how did it come to be?

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Michael C. Hawley to the Italian Cultural & Community Center for Libertas: How the Romans Invented Modern Freedom. In this lecture, Dr. Hawley will explore how the Roman conception of libertas gave rise to the notion of freedom as an ideal worth striving for. What exactly does libertas mean? How does it relate to politics and citizenship? What made it so powerful an idea that more than 2,000 years later, people still take for granted that a good political society should ensure this freedom for its members? Join us Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. as we answer these questions.

About the Presenter
Michael C. Hawley is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Houston where his research interests include classical and modern republicanism, liberalism, Catholic and Islamic political thought, contemporary just war theory, and political rhetoric. A native of Boston, he received his Ph.D. from Duke University and has previously taught at Duke, Bowdoin College, and the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of Natural Law Republicanism: Cicero’s Liberal Legacy, which explores the Roman origins of early-modern liberalism and the American Founding.

Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Time: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Italian Cultural & Community Center, 1101 Milford Street, Houston, TX 77006
Price: $10 ICCC Members | $15 General Admission