For centuries, ringing declarations about all men being created equal appealed to a shared human nature as the reason to consider ourselves equals. Unconditional Equals challenges attempts to justify equality by reference to a shared human nature arguing that justification turns into conditions and ends up as exclusion. 

In this event we launch Unconditional Equals by Anne Phillips, who, alongside a panel of experts across gender and political theory will explore genuine unconditional equality and the commitment we make to ourselves and others. 

Meet our speakers and chair

Anne Phillips is the Graham Wallas Professor of Political Science in the Department of Government at LSE. She was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2003 and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2013. She is the author of several books including The Politics of Presence: the Political Representation of Gender, Race, and Culture (1995) and the forthcoming book Unconditional Equals.

Sumi Madhok is Professor of Political Theory and Gender Studies at the Department of Gender Studies. 

Teresa Bejan is Associate Professor of Political Theory and Fellow of Oriel College at the University of Oxford. 

Nicola Lacey is School Professor of Law, Gender and Social Policy at LSE Law School. 

You can pre-order the book, Unconditional Equals (UK delivery only) from our official LSE Events independent book shop, Pages of Hackney. 

More about this event

The Department of Government (@LSEGovernment) is home to some of the most internationally respected experts in politics and government; producing influential research that has a global impact on policy, and delivering world-class teaching to our students.

The Department of Gender Studies (@LSEGenderTweet) pioneers intersectional, interdisciplinary and transnational teaching and research, addressing the tenacity of gendered power relations and gendered inequalities in times of global transformations.

Twitter hastag for this event is #LSEEquals

Podcast & Video

A podcast of this event is available to download from Unconditional Equals

Podcasts and videos of many LSE events can be found at the LSE Public Lectures and Events: podcasts and videos channel