In-person public event (LSE campus, venue tbc to ticketholders)
Friday 17 Oct 2025 11.30am - 12.30pm
Join us for this lecture by New York Times bestselling author and Harvard academic Cass R Sunstein.
More than at any time since World War II, liberalism is under pressure, even siege. On the right, some have given up on liberalism. They hold it responsible for the collapse of the family and traditional values, rampant criminality, disrespect for authority, and widespread immorality. On the left, some are turning their backs on liberalism. They think that it lacks the resources to handle the problems posed by entrenched inequalities, racism, sexism, corporate power, and environmental degradation. But those opposed to liberalism do not depict it accurately; they offer a caricature, and they neglect its history.
Cass Sunstein will offer an understanding of "big tent liberalism," capturing core commitments that unify much of the Anglo-American tradition. He points to the centrality of freedom, pluralism, and the rule of law - and to the value of experiments in living.
Meet our speaker and chair
New York Times bestselling author Cass R Sunstein (@CassSunstein) is Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard, as well as founder and director of the Program on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy at Harvard Law School. He is the co-author of Nudge and Noise.
Paul Kelly is Professor of Political Theory at LSE and a former pro-director of the School. He is the author and editor of sixteen books and edited collections and published numerous scholarly articles. His interests range across political theory and philosophy and the history of thought.
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