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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240319T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240319T193000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20240131T143056Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240316T151228Z
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SUMMARY:What can we learn from... the radical universalism of CLR James?
DESCRIPTION:Room CLM.2.05\, 2nd Floor\, Clement House\, London School of Economics \nTHIS EVENT IS FREE OF CHARGE\, BUT PLEASE REGISTER VIA EVENTBRITE. \nAs a Marxist revolutionary and Pan-Africanist\, critic of European colonialism and respecter of Western civilisation\, classicist and lover of popular culture\, CLR James confounds many contemporary expectations. Today\, when praise for ‘Western culture’ is often dismissed as ‘Eurocentrism’ and identity silos trump a sense of our shared humanity\, is a universalist outlook and an emphasis on what we have in common worth defending? Looking back at his life and work\, what can we learn from a man once labelled ’the black Plato’? \nSPEAKERS \nCERI DINGLE\ndirector\, WORLDwrite; co-director Every Cook Can Govern\, the award winning film on CLR James \nCeri Dingle is director of WORLDwrite\, a youth education charity that campaigns for change using film and video through its online Citizen TV channel\, WORLDbytes. WORLDwrite’s free TV and film training facility for young people has assisted over 3\,000 young people to produce over 1\,000 challenging programmes in the past 10 years. \nCeri directed the film Sylvia Pankhurst: Everything is Possible and co-directed Every Cook Can Govern on the life and works of CLR James. She is currently working with young volunteers to produce a film on the history of solidarity in the UK and new volunteers are most welcome to join the crew. \nRALPH LEONARD\nwriter; author\, Letter on Liberty:  Unshackling Intimacy\nRalph is a British-Nigerian writer and commentator on international politics\, culture and sex. He is the author of the Letters on Liberty pamphlet Unshackling Intimacy\, writes for UnHerd\, Areo and the Telegraph\, and is a regular guest on the Zer0 Books podcast. He also writes on religion\, human rights and international affairs. As an ardent secularist and leftist\, Ralph believes it is crucial to uphold the legacy of the Enlightenment\, and the project for the universal emancipation of humanity. \nSUPPORTED BY\nLiving Freedom University Salons are supported by the Ian Mactaggart Programme\, established to foster a culture of open debate\, independent thinking and free expression among young people in the UK\, especially students. It is administered by the Free Speech Union.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-the-radical-universalism-of-clr-james
LOCATION:‘Beaver’s Retreat\, George IV Pub\, London School of Economics\, 28 Portugal Street\, London\, WC2A 2HE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/clr-james-london-march-2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240312T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240312T193000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20240125T152057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240228T150037Z
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SUMMARY:From hate speech to misinformation: why social media is not the problem
DESCRIPTION:Room 5052\, Arts Building\, Trinity College\, University of Dublin \nLiving Freedom ‘University Salons’ are for all students (and academics) keen to explore and debate ideas. A short talk is followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion. \nThe event is free but please register via Eventbrite. \n——————— \nTOPIC\nFrom Hate Speech to Misinformation: Why Social Media is Not the Problem \nAdvances in digital technology and social media mean each of us can now share more information and opinions more widely than ever before. But many worry that new digital culture fuels hate speech\, online harms\, fake news and identity driven polarisation. Speaking after recent Dublin riots\, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said that ‘people have been radicalized through social media over the Internet’. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has vowed to ‘modernize laws against hatred’ claiming legislation is ‘not up to date for the social media age’. \nSome question the extent to which new digital technologies are really the problem. After all\, just over a decade ago\, social media was celebrated for the power to share ideas and drive positive political change\, for example the Arab Spring or the re-election of President Obama. A recent report found that majorities in most countries surveyed believe that social media is good for democracy. But on the downside\, the same report revealed European democracies and America are now least likely to evaluate social media positively. \nTo what extent are the technologies celebrated for transforming our communications also responsible for our descent into echo chambers\, toxic filter bubbles and demonising those with whom we disagree? Does social media threaten productive exchanges of ideas and our potential to develop a shared worldview and even a shared reality? Irish Green Party Senator Pauline O’Reilly admits that hate speech legislators ‘are restricting freedom’ but asserts they are ‘doing it for the common good.’ Is she right to assert that such legislative action is required? Or should we instead look elsewhere for both the root of the problem and the solutions to social strife in an age of digital culture? \n——————— \nSPEAKER: TIMANDRA HARKNESS\njournalist\, writer and broadcaster; author\, Technology is Not the Problem (2024)\nTimandra Harkness is author of Technology is Not the Problem (forthcoming\, Harper Collins) and Big Data: does size matter?  She is a regular on BBC Radio\, writing and presenting BBC Radio 4’s FutureProofing and other series including How To Disagree. Her BBC documentaries include Divided Nation and What Has Sat-Nav Done To Our Brains and she has written for publications including the Telegraph\, Guardian\, The Sunday Times\, Men’s Health and Significance (the journal of the Royal Statistical Society). \nCHAIR: ALASTAIR DONALD\nconvenor\, Living Freedom; author\, The Scottish Question \n——————— \nORGANISED BY \n\nThis event is organised by Living Freedom and Dublin Universities branch of Academics for Academic Freedom (AFAF). \nSUPPORTED BY\nLiving Freedom University Salons are supported by the Ian Mactaggart Programme\, established to foster a culture of open debate\, independent thinking and free expression among young people in the UK\, especially students. It is administered by the Free Speech Union.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/from-hate-speech-to-misinformation-why-social-media-is-not-the-problem
LOCATION:Trinity College\, University of Dublin\, College Green\, Dublin
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/LF-Trinity-Dublin.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240222T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240222T200000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20240108T171124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240212T121451Z
UID:709-1708626600-1708632000@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:What can we learn from… Frederick Douglass?
DESCRIPTION:Room OC1.04\, The Oculus\, University of Warwick \nThe event is free but please register via Eventbrite. \nLiving Freedom ‘University Salons’ are for all students keen to explore and debate ideas on the past\, present and future of freedom. \nOur ‘What can we learn from…?’ events explore important thinkers and the emergence of key ideas. A short\, accessible talk is followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion. Together we will interrogate thinkers and their ideas and assess their relevance for freedom today.  Everyone is welcome to come along. \nTOPIC\nFrederick Douglass and Emancipation\nFrederick Douglass is the renowned ‘prophet of freedom’: the most important African American of the 19th century\, who escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist\, the greatest orator of his day and a leading writer of the era. \nBut Douglass was a complex figure who confounds many contemporary expectations. A fierce defender of freedom dedicated to the cause of Black civil and political rights\, Douglass was also a radical patriot\, committed to the Republican Party\, and often politically at odds with younger African Americans. \nWhere today’s decolonisation movement derides ‘Western culture’ and ‘Eurocentrism’ and instead values ‘indigenous knowledge and ways of learning’\, Douglass honed his literary and oratorial skills through studying Cicero\, Milton\, Socrates\, Cato and others. Is he right to emphasise a universalist outlook that celebrates our shared common humanity? What can Douglass tell us about the challenges to freedom today? \nSPEAKER\nDR ALKA SEHGAL CUTHBERT\, director\, Don’t Divide Us\nAlka Sehgal Cuthbert is an educator\, academic\, author and campaigner. She is director of Don’t Divide Us (DDU)\, the UK’s ‘common-sense voice on race’. DDU make the case for colourblind anti-racism based on freedom and tolerance and believe that everyone should be treated as an individual worthy of respect regardless of race\, religion or the colour of their skin.  Alka is author of the Letter on Liberty series pamphlet The Dangers of the new anti-racism. She has written widely on education issues\, including What Should Schools Teach? Disciplines\, Subjects and the Pursuit of Truth published in 2017. \nORGANISERS\n\n \nMAP\nClick on image below for interactive map. \n \nSUPPORTED BY\nLiving Freedom University Salons are supported by the Ian Mactaggart Programme\, established to foster a culture of open debate\, independent thinking and free expression among young people in the UK\, especially students. It is administered by the Free Speech Union.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-frederick-douglass-warwick-2024
LOCATION:Room OC1.04\, The Oculus\, University of Warwick\, University Road\, Warwick\, CV4 7AL\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/frederick-douglass-warwick.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240220T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240220T193000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20240129T121932Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240213T165809Z
UID:777-1708452000-1708457400@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:What can we learn from...? JS Mill: freedom and the harm principle
DESCRIPTION:Room NK14\, King’s College\, University of Aberdeen \nTHIS EVENT IS FREE OF CHARGE BUT PLEASE REGISTER VIA EVENTBRITE. \nIn his famous On Liberty\, John Stuart Mill argued: ‘The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community\, against his will\, is to prevent harm to others. His own good\, either physical or moral\, is not a sufficient warrant.’ \nThis ‘harm principle’ became the quintessential defence of personal autonomy\, acting as a defence against interference in our private choices. But in recent years\, a growing sense that all individuals are vulnerable and ‘at risk’ has led to increased worries over a vast array of actions from hate speech to vaping that are now said to threaten individual safety\, wellbeing and mental health. One consequence is that an expanded notion of harm is used to argue against freedom and is used to limit our personal choices. \nWhat is Mill’s harm principle and how should we reassess it in an age where harms abound? How do we live together in a society\, when one person’s freedom is another person’s nightmare? From smoking bans to anti-social-behaviour orders\, have we given up on the principle of tolerance? If we want to enjoy freedom\, do we need to demand the right to offend the sensibilities of those who want to deny us that freedom? \nSPEAKER\nRob Lyons is science and technology director at the Academy of Ideas. He writes on a wide range of issues\, but takes a particular interest in issues around the economy\, environment\, food\, energy and risk. He is the author of Letter on Liberty Beyond the Harm Principle and Panic on a Plate: how society developed an eating disorder. Rob is convenor of the AoI Economy Forum. \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald is convenor of Living Freedom and author of Letter on Liberty: The Scottish Question \nORGANISED BY\n \nThis event is organised by Living Freedom and Aberdeen University Freedom of Speech Society. \nSUPPORTED BY\nLiving Freedom University Salons are supported by the Ian Mactaggart Programme\, established to foster a culture of open debate\, independent thinking and free expression among young people in the UK\, especially students. It is administered by the Free Speech Union.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-js-mill-freedom-and-the-harm-principle
LOCATION:University of Aberdeen\, Room NK14\, King's College\, Aberdeen\, AB24 3FX\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Aberdeen-What-can-we-learn-from-JS-MILL.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240216T160000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240216T173000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20240105T153352Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240212T121553Z
UID:695-1708099200-1708104600@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:What can we learn from… Frederick Douglass?
DESCRIPTION:Pitcairn Building\, South College\, University of Durham \nThe event is free but please register via Eventbrite. \nLiving Freedom ‘University Salons’ are for all students keen to explore and debate ideas on the past\, present and future of freedom. \nOur ‘What can we learn from…?’ events explore important thinkers and the emergence of key ideas. A short\, accessible talk is followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion. Together we will interrogate thinkers and their ideas and assess their relevance for freedom today.  Everyone is welcome to come along. \nTOPIC\nFrederick Douglass and Emancipation\nFrederick Douglass is the renowned ‘prophet of freedom’: the most important African American of the 19th century\, who escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist\, the greatest orator of his day and a leading writer of the era. \nBut Douglass was a complex figure who confounds many contemporary expectations. A fierce defender of freedom dedicated to the cause of Black civil and political rights\, Douglass was also a radical patriot\, committed to the Republican Party\, and often politically at odds with younger African Americans. \nWhere today’s decolonisation movement derides ‘Western culture’ and ‘Eurocentrism’ and instead values ‘indigenous knowledge and ways of learning’\, Douglass honed his literary and oratorial skills through by studying Cicero\, Milton\, Socrates\, Cato and others. Is he right to emphasise a universalist outlook that celebrates our shared common humanity? What can Douglass tell us about the challenges to freedom today? \nSPEAKER\nDR ALKA SEHGAL CUTHBERT\, director\, Don’t Divide Us\nAlka Sehgal Cuthbert is an educator\, academic\, author and campaigner. She is director of Don’t Divide Us (DDU)\, the UK’s ‘common-sense voice on race’. DDU make the case for colourblind anti-racism based on freedom and tolerance and believe that everyone should be treated as an individual worthy of respect regardless of race\, religion or the colour of their skin.  Alka is author of the Letter on Liberty series pamphlet The Dangers of the new anti-racism. She has written widely on education issues\, including What Should Schools Teach? Disciplines\, Subjects and the Pursuit of Truth published in 2017. \nORGANISERS\n\n \nSUPPORTED BY\nLiving Freedom University Salons are supported by the Ian Mactaggart Programme\, established to foster a culture of open debate\, independent thinking and free expression among young people in the UK\, especially students. It is administered by the Free Speech Union.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-frederick-douglass
LOCATION:Pitcairn Building\, South College\, Mount Oswald\, The Approach\, Durham\, DH1 3LD\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/frederick-douglass.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240215T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240215T190000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20240131T141540Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240209T164417Z
UID:735-1708020000-1708023600@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:From culture wars to misinformation: why social media is not the problem
DESCRIPTION:Quarry Whitehouse Auditorium\, Selwyn College\, University of Cambridge \nThe event is free but please register via Eventbrite. \nLiving Freedom ‘University Salons’ are for all students keen to explore and debate ideas on the past\, present and future of freedom. A short\, accessible talk is followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion.  Everyone is welcome to come along. \nTOPIC\nFrom Culture Wars to Misinformation: Why Social Media is Not The Problem \nWith digital culture and myriad forms of social media\, each of us can now share more information and opinions more widely than ever before. Unlike the era of mass media\, today every individual has a personalised news channel\, edited by their own choices\, social network and algorithms that shape what they want to see next. \nBut many worry that while our facility to communicate has improved\, productive exchanges of ideas have diminished\, as has the potential to develop a shared worldview or even shared reality. What’s more\, new identity-driven forms of polarisation\, online harms and fake news have fuelled fears that the very technologies that transformed communications are in fact responsible for our descent into echo chambers\, toxic filter-bubbles or attention traps. \nBut to what extent is new technology really the problem? After all\, just over a decade ago\, social media was celebrated for the power to share ideas and drive political change in the Arab Spring. \nIn this talk followed by open discussion\, Timandra Harkness explores both the new digital technologies and the new identity-driven forms of culture and politics\, and asks: how did we get here\, why does it matter and where do we go from here? She concludes that instead of pointing the finger at the smartphone and new technologies\, we instead need to understand our own our shrinking sense of who we are and obsession with how others see us. \n—————— \nSPEAKER: TIMANDRA HARKNESS\nJournalist\, writer and broadcaster; author\, Technology is Not the Problem (2024) \nTimandra Harkness is author of Technology is Not the Problem (forthcoming\, Harper Collins). She is also author of Big Data: does size matter? \nTimandra is a regular on BBC Radio\, writing and presenting BBC Radio 4’s FutureProofing and other series including How To Disagree\, Steelmanning and Political School. BBC documentaries include Data\, Data Everywhere\, Divided Nation\, What Has Sat-Nav Done To Our Brains\, and Five Knots. She was also resident reporter on all eight seasons of social psychology series The Human Zoo. Timandra is a graduate fellow of the Royal Statistical Society\, and a founder member of their Data Ethics and Governance Section. She has written for publications including the Telegraph\, Guardian\, The Sunday Times\, Men’s Health and Significance (the journal of the Royal Statistical Society). \nCHAIR: ROGER MOSEY\nMaster of Selwyn College and a Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/from-culture-wars-to-misinformation-why-social-media-is-not-the-problem
LOCATION:Quarry Whitehouse Auditorium\, Selwyn College\, University of Cambridge\, Grange Road\, Cambridge\, CB3 9DQ\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/culture_wars_lf_cambridge_feb24.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240207T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240207T193000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20240123T171645Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240131T084013Z
UID:731-1707330600-1707334200@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:More or Less? Utopia Today
DESCRIPTION:THIS SALON IS THE OPENING SESSION AT CRITICAL SUBJECTS: SPRING ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN SCHOOL 2024. IT IS OPEN TO ATTENDEES ONLY \nSince the publication of Thomas More’s Utopia marked the dawn of modernity\, utopian thinking has been a means to imagine how society might\, in the future\, be radically\, wholly different. Successive revolutionary moments in history were accompanied by reimagined worlds to come. By the turn of the twentieth century\, Oscar Wilde could confidently assert that ‘a map of the world that does not include utopia is not worth even glancing at’. ‘Progress’\, he declared\, ‘is the realisation of utopias’. \nYet in recent decades utopia has found itself on trial\, tarnished by association with totalitarian ideologies and a casualty of the ‘end of history’ and with it the demise of the possibility of imagining a different future. But while many condemn as dangerous the aspiration for transforming the world\, others regret the demise of genuinely transformative ideals. In our times of paralysing malaise and disenchantment with the future whether through the environmental emergency or artificial intelligence apocalypse\, should we seek a revival of utopian thinking? \nSPEAKER\nAlastair Donald is convenor of Living Freedom organised by Ideas Matter and associate director of the Academy of Ideas where he is co-convenor for the Battle of Ideas Festival. Alastair has worked in the UK and internationally to develop festivals\, exhibitions and curated programmes. He is author of The Scottish Question\, published as part of the series Letters on Liberty and co-editor of two books\, The Lure of the City: from slums to suburbs (2011) and The Future of Community: reports of a death greatly exaggerated (2008). He was a founding member of mantownhuman which published Manifesto: towards a new humanism in architecture (2008)\, as featured in Penguin Classics 100 Artists’ Manifestos. \nCHAIR\nAustin Williams\ndirector\, Future Cities Project; honorary research fellow\, XJTLU\, Suzhou\, China; author\, China’s Urban Revolution; convenor\, Critical Subjects Architecture School
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/more-or-less-utopia-today
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/More-or-less-utopia-today.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240206T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240206T193000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20240108T155831Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240212T121625Z
UID:704-1707242400-1707247800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:What can we learn from... Hannah Arendt?
DESCRIPTION:THIS EVENT IS FREE OF CHARGE BUT PLEASE REGISTER VIA EVENTBRITE. \nLiving Freedom ‘University Salons’ are for all students keen to explore and debate ideas on the past\, present and future of freedom. \nOur ‘What can we learn from…?’ events explore important thinkers and the emergence of key ideas. A short\, accessible talk is followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion. Together we will interrogate thinkers and their ideas and assess their relevance for freedom today. Everyone is welcome to come along. \nHannah Arendt and Totalitarianism\nWhether prompted by concerns over draconian lockdowns\, new authoritarian political leaders\, policing of speech or outlawing demonstrations\, there’s been a revival of interest in Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism. And today\, in the wake of seemingly resurgent anti-Semitism in Europe\, her analysis of the connection between anti-Semitism\, totalitarianism\, and Europe’s dark history bear re-reading. What’s more\, whether attacking the contemporary concern for ‘safety’\, her unflinching defence of the Western canon of literature and philosophy\, her complex views on Israel\, or the role of ‘facts’ in politics\, Arendt was never shy of challenging orthodoxies and addressing profound moral questions. Scholars today routinely dismiss her as a closet racist or typical ‘white liberal’. But what did she really say\, and what can Arendt tell us about the challenges to freedom today? \nSPEAKER: \nJACOB REYNOLDS\, head of policy\, MCC Brussels; associate fellow\, Academy of Ideas; convenor\, Hannah Arendt Study Group \nJacob is head of policy for the think tank MCC Brussels\, an organisation founded to shake up the ‘Brussels bubble’ through in-depth exploration of the major challenges facing Europe. He is associate fellow at Academy of Ideas and a volunteer convenor of The Academy\, a weekend residential summer school for free thinkers. Jacob has a BPhil from St Cross College\, Oxford where he specialised in the work of Hannah Arendt\, and is a writer and commentator on issues related to the Culture War\, literature\, and geopolitics. He has an academic background in philosophy. \nSUPPORTED BY\nLiving Freedom University Salons are supported by the Ian Mactaggart Programme\, established to foster a culture of open debate\, independent thinking and free expression among young people in the UK\, especially students. It is administered by the Free Speech Union.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-hannah-arendt-feb-24
LOCATION:Harris Lecture Theatre\, Oriel College\, Oriel Square\, Oxford\, OX1 4EW\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hannah-arendt-oriel-6feb.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231220T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231220T220000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20231121T123104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231211T170750Z
UID:649-1703098800-1703109600@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Living Freedom Xmas Bash Balloon Debate 2023
DESCRIPTION:On behalf of Living Freedom we would like to invite you to join us for a drink\, some good company and a fun Xmas balloon debate. \nThis invitation only gathering will take place at The Sekforde\, the historic Clerkenwell pub now thriving on the back of an award winning restoration. Join us for drinks at the pay bar from 7pm. \nWhat: Living Freedom Xmas Balloon Debate\nWhen: Wednesday 20 December 2023\, 7:00pm\nWhere: The Sekforde\, 34 Sekforde St\, Farringdon\, London EC1R 0HA\nEntrance: Free\nBooking: Limited space so reserve a place via Ticket Tailor. \nWhat is the greatest representation of freedom in culture? \nA panel of six valiant freedom lovers will seek to convince you of their choice\, whether a work of art or literature\, a film\, opera\, play or song. \nEach contestant will have just three minutes to present their case\, followed by a round of questions from the audience. Then there is a vote\, and the top three will be given an additional one minute to convince you to back their choice. \nWhich cultural representation of freedom – and its defender – deserves to stay in the balloon? You decide! \nPANEL:\n* Andrew Calcutt former bassist and journalist\, now self-styled as ‘the news poet’ – defending the premiere of 4′ 33” by John Cage\, Maverick Hall\, New York\, 29 August 1952\n* David Cotter musician and composer; teacher and lecturer – defending the guitar\n* Maeve Halligan musician\, The Hooligans; student – defending The Fields of Athenry\n* Robert Reid\, researcher and parliamentary assistant\, the Alba Party – defending The Declaration of Arbroath\n* Cressida Wetton comedian; panellist\, Headliners\, GB News – defending Lenny Bruce‘s free speech routines\n* Leo Villa archive manager\, Academy of Ideas; music teacher – defending Miloš Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest \nHost: Alastair Donald convenor\, Living Freedom
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/living-freedom-xmas-bash-balloon-debate-2023
LOCATION:The Sekforde\, 34 Sekforde Street\, London\, EC1R 0HA\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Xmas-23-Ballooon-graphic-copy-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231122T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231122T193000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20231107T162143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231108T141652Z
UID:616-1700676000-1700681400@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:What can we learn from... Hannah Arendt?
DESCRIPTION:The event is free but please register via Ticket Tailor. \nHannah Arendt and Totalitarianism\nWhether prompted by concerns over draconian lockdowns\, new authoritarian political leaders\, policing of speech or outlawing demonstrations\, there’s been a revival of interest in Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism. And today\, in the wake of seemingly resurgent anti-Semitism in Europe\, her analysis of the connection between anti-Semitism\, totalitarianism\, and Europe’s dark history bear re-reading. What’s more\, whether attacking the contemporary concern for ‘safety’\, her unflinching defence of the Western canon of literature and philosophy\, her complex views on Israel\, or the role of ‘facts’ in politics\, Arendt was never shy of challenging orthodoxies and addressing profound moral questions. Scholars today routinely dismiss her as a closet racist or typical ‘white liberal’. But what did she really say\, and what can Arendt tell us about the challenges to freedom today? \nSPEAKER: \nJACOB REYNOLDS\, head of policy\, MCC Brussels; associate fellow\, Academy of Ideas; convenor\, Hannah Arendt Study Group \n \nJacob is head of policy for the think tank MCC Brussels\, an organisation founded to shake up the ‘Brussels bubble’ through in-depth exploration of the major challenges facing Europe. He is associate fellow at Academy of Ideas and a volunteer convenor of The Academy\, a weekend residential summer school for free thinkers. Jacob has a BPhil from St Cross College\, Oxford where he specialised in the work of Hannah Arendt\, and is a writer and commentator on issues related to the Culture War\, literature\, and geopolitics. He has an academic background in philosophy.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-hannah-arendt
LOCATION:Vinson Auditorium\, Vinson Centre\, 21 Hunter Street\, Buckingham\, MK18 1EG\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/hannah-arendt-banner.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231029T124500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231029T133000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20231026T105250Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231026T114232Z
UID:602-1698583500-1698586200@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Revitalising free speech on campus: Living Freedom and Speak Easy
DESCRIPTION:A special session at the Battle of Ideas festival in London. Students can come to the whole festival weekend (Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October) for £27.50. Buy tickets here. \nLIVING FREEDOM will be represented at the Battle of Ideas festival at this session on what can be done to revitalise free speech on campus. \nAlong with the the student initiative Speakeasy\, we’ll be discussing the state of universities and highlighting initiatives that are taking the lead in remaking the case for critical inquiry\, free expression and open debate in universities. Come along to hear more about the Summer School 2024\, our University Salons\, and Freedom Forums.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/revitalising-free-speech-on-campus-living-freedom-and-speak-easy
LOCATION:Church House\, 27 Great Smith Street\, London\, SW1P 3AZ\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lf-graphic.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231016T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231016T200000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20240116T120648Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240116T120736Z
UID:726-1697481000-1697486400@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:What can we learn from... Martin Luther?
DESCRIPTION:FREEDOM THEN AND NOW: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM…?\nMARTIN LUTHER: FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE  \nLiving in accordance with our deeply held moral beliefs throws up tricky dilemmas. Should health professionals be forced to assist with abortion provision or with assisted-suicide services that go against their religious principles? Should lawyers concerned about climate change be able to opt out of prosecuting eco-activists? Whether baulking at military service\, declining to bake wedding cakes for same-sex couples or refusing to follow lockdown rules\, how should we respond to the claim to exercise freedom of conscience based on moral principles? \nThe idea of conscience first emerged when ancient Greek playwrights had their characters wrestle with their inner voices. Famously\, Martin Luther\, the German reformer who challenged the Catholic church\, asserted the right to believe freely and to be slave to the authority of no one: ‘I cannot and will not recant anything\, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe’\, he said. But what is conscience exactly and why is it important? What constitutes the legitimate exercise of conscience? At a time when value judgements that are not thought scientifically verifiable tend to be dismissed as whims or tribal affiliations\, how should we make the case for meaningful open debate that involves the morally centred individual as well as experts?  \nSPEAKER\nDolan Cummings\, author\, Taking Conscience Seriously\nDolan Cummings is the author of the Letters on Liberty pamphlet\, Taking Conscience Seriously. He recently published his third novel\, The Pictish Princess.. and other stories from before there was a Scotland. His previous books are Gehenna: a novel of Hell and Earth (2020)\, which follows a Glasgow detective through Dante’s Hell\, and That Existential Leap: a crime story\, which is part bildungsroman and part novel of ideas. Dolan also works as a freelance copywriter\, speechwriter and editor. His own non-fiction writing\, mostly on books\, politics and religion\, can be found at dolancummings.com. \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald\, convenor\, Living Freedom \nREADING\nDolan Cummings\, In praise of our moral inheritance
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-martin-luther
LOCATION:Stephenson College\, University of Durham\, Howlands Farm\, South Rd\, Durham\, DH1 3DE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/luther-lf.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230809T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230809T210000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230714T153359Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230801T151214Z
UID:574-1691607600-1691614800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Free speech on campus: winning young hearts and minds
DESCRIPTION:This event is free but please book a place in advance via Eventbrite. \nThe new Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act passed in May puts more responsibility on universities to ensure students are able to speak freely in and out of the classroom. But since then\, the refusal to show the film Birthgap in Cambridge University and attempts to cancel Kathleen Stock at the Oxford Union suggests that much remains to be done to develop a new culture of free and open debate at universities. \nMany students – and even academics – report they self-censor and fear ostracisation for speaking out. Student societies often encounter problems when wanting to discuss ‘controversial’ topics or invite diverse speakers. Given the new duty of free speech\, how can students use this to their advantage? Can students who support academic freedom be encouraged to champion free speech on campus? Given the apparent sensitivity to discomfort among young people\, how can we win students themselves to the cause of critical inquiry\, free expression\, and open debate? \nSPEAKERS\nJack Barwell student; founder\, Speak Easy\, University of Exeter\nFelice Basbøll project assistant\, Ideas Matter\, history student\, Trinity College Dublin.\nStani Huepfl politics and international relations student\, London School of Economics\nOmar Loubak Mohamed student; founder\, Speak Easy\, Royal Holloway\, University of London \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald convenor\, Living Freedom \nBACKGROUND READING\nNow woke universities are ditching boozy Freshers Weeks because they are not ‘inviting and inclusive’ enough!\,\nDawn Thompson\, MailOnline\, 30 July 2023 \nThe Oxford kids are alright\nKathleen Stock\, UnHerd\, 1 June 2023 \nFreedom of Speech Act: How it will affect university students\nThe Education Hub\, 30 May 2023
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/free-speech-on-campus-winning-young-hearts-and-minds
LOCATION:Ideas Matter Club\, 5-8 The Sanctuary\, London\, England\, SW1P 3JS\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/London-Freedom-Forum-3.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230712T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230712T203000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230628T134629Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230707T142613Z
UID:538-1689188400-1689193800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:The information wars: who verifies the verifiers?
DESCRIPTION:The recently launched BBC Verify promises to combat the proliferation of fake news and deep-faked images and videos online. We live in the age of the fact-checkers: groups and individuals who take on the responsibility of determining what is true\, what is false\, and what is fake online. With all of the dis-\, mis- and even mal-information\, there are indeed serious challenges to the ideal of a democratised public sphere. But who determines what’s true and false? \nThe Twitter Files revealed how ideology can influence the ‘objective’ verification process and how unaccountable bodies become gate keepers of truth. With shadow banning\, algorithmic manipulation and suppression of sheer opinion\, is the media accountable? Can verification ever be non-partisan? \nThis salon discussion tackles the growing role of fact-checking in the media\, and the implications for freedom of speech\, truth and journalism. Are initiatives like BBC Verify a welcome extension of the watchdog role of journalism\, or do they do more harm than good? Who fact-checks the fact-checkers? \nSPEAKERS\nPoppy Coburn freelance commentator and journalist\nSam Rubinstein history student and writer\nMax Sanderson editor of weekly podcasts\, Guardian \nCHAIR\nFelice Basbøll project assistant\, Ideas Matter \nREGISTER\nThis event is free\, but places are limited\, so please book via Eventbrite. \nBACKGROUND\nExplaining the ‘how’ – the launch of BBC Verify\nDeborah Turness\, 22 May\, BBC News \n‘Fundamentally dangerous’: reversal of social media guardrails could prove disastrous for 2024 elections\nKari Paul\, 10 Jun\, Guardian \nThe BBC isn’t exposing disinformation. It’s peddling it\nJonathan Cook\, 2 Jun\, Middle East Eye \nThe tyranny of ‘misinformation’\nTim Black\, 26 Oct 2020\, Spiked \nWhat Were the Twitter Files\nBranko Marcetic\, 26 Apr\, The Nation \nGary Lineker: free speech\, political debate and impartiality\nAlastair Donald\, Claire Fox\, Ella Whelan and Rob Lyons\, 13 May\, Podcast of Ideas
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/who-verifies-the-verifiers
LOCATION:Ideas Matter Club\, London\, England\, SW1P\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/information-wars-freedom-forum.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230629T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230701T170000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230320T153134Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230325T065917Z
UID:122-1688061600-1688230800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Living Freedom Summer School 2023
DESCRIPTION:  \nOur three-day residential school is open to anyone aged 18 to 30 regardless of whether you are based in the UK or beyond. \nAttend to hear talks from experts on the history and philosophy of freedom\, helping us to understand freedom of conscience and free will in the 21st century. With Progress now seen as dangerous\, we’ll debate the implications for freedom\, and explore innovations such as generative technologies and ChatGPT. There will plenty of opportunities to explore complex moral issues such as the case for reparations and the morality of borders\, to revisit classic texts and debate contemporary hot topics from sensitivity readers to the hecklers veto. \nIf you would like to find out more about the Summer School\, and find out how to apply\, you can find all the details on the Summer School page.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/living-freedom-summer-school-2023
LOCATION:London\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Summer School
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LFSS23-graphic-smaller.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230503T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230503T190000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230321T135047Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230418T121024Z
UID:185-1683140400-1683140400@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:What can we learn from...? Oriel College\, Oxford\, May 2023
DESCRIPTION:WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM…? John Milton/Liberty and John Locke/Toleration \nSpeakers: Andrew Doyle and Dr Tiffany Jenkins \nThe rise of cancel culture has made many nervous about free expression and open debate\, even though academic freedom is a core value – and legal duty of universities. Many students – and even academics – report they self-censor; student societies often encounter problems in terms of inviting diverse speakers. \nHowever\, if universities are to fulfil their purpose as spaces in which to freely explore ideas and develop knowledge\, then nothing should be beyond question or outwith the scope of debate. Today\, while values of tolerance and liberty are rhetorically espoused\, increasingly it is often argued that free expression has its limits. \nOne way to understand better the predicaments around freedom today is to turn to important figures of the past and to explore their thinking and how it might help us now. ‘What can we learn from…?’ events take as a starting point important thinkers and cultural figures from history. After short\, accessible talks\, there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. \nREGISTER \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Submit  \nEVENT\nWednesday 3 May\, 7.00pm-9.00pm \nHistorically liberty and toleration have been staples of liberal society. Join us to explore the historic roots and contemporary realities of these important ideals. \n1: Milton and Liberty\nAndrew Doyle\, broadcaster; author\, The New Puritans\n‘Give me liberty to know\, to utter\, and to argue freely according to conscience’\, declared the poet John Milton in Areopagitica. Often associated with seventeenth-century non-conformist Puritans\, Milton rejected licensing of printed texts and rebuffed the notion that prohibitions\, bans or force could create virtuous men. Today\, amidst the rise of a new puritanism\, being offensive can be deemed a crime\, demands for ‘social justice’ brook no dissent and uttering uncomfortable truths can lead to public shaming. From the ages of the Puritans\, old and new\, what can we learn about the case for freedom of belief and expression? \n2: John Locke and Toleration\nDr Tiffany Jenkins\, writer and broadcaster\nIt was only in the seventeenth century that Western society started to seriously consider the philosophical foundations of toleration of competing religions and beliefs. Today\, values of tolerance and respect are regularly upheld. But some argue that tolerating free expression has its limits and society should not be placed at risk of intolerant ideas or even overly judgemental views. Should we tolerate free expression\, or retain a right to be intolerant of intolerance? \nVENUE \nOriel College\nHarris Lecture Theatre\nOriel Square\, Oxford\, OX1 4EW\nSee Google Maps for location. \nSPEAKERS \nANDREW DOYLE\npresenter\, Free Speech Nation\, GB News; author\, The New Puritans: how the religion of social justice captured the Western world\nAndrew Doyle is a writer\, comedian\, and a presenter on GB News. He is the author of Free Speech and Why It Matters (2021) and The New Puritans: how the religion of social justice captured the Western world (2022). He is the creator of the satirical character Titania McGrath\, who has published two books – Woke: a guide to social justice (2019) and My First Little Book of Intersectional Activism (2020). He began presenting his show Free Speech Nation on GB News in June 2021. Before then he was a columnist for spiked\, a panellist on the BBC’s Moral Maze and regularly reviewed the papers on Sky News. \nDR TIFFANY JENKINS\nwriter and broadcaster; author\, Strangers and Intimates: the rise and fall of private life\nTiffany Jenkins is a writer\, author and broadcaster. Her last book\, Keeping Their Marbles: How Treasures of the Past Ended Up in Museums and Why They Should Stay There\, was published in 2016 to critical acclaim. Her next book\, Strangers and Intimates: the rise and fall of private life\, will be published in 2023 by Picador. Tiffany is an honorary fellow Art History at the University of Edinburgh\, and is host of the podcast Behind the Scenes at the Museum\, in which she talks to key figures about the big ideas rocking the cultural world\, charting the trends and dissecting the controversies. She has written and presented several programmes for BBC Radio 4\, including the series A Narrative History of Secrecy. \nCONVENORS \nALASTAIR DONALD\, convenor\, Living Freedom\nDR MARIE KAWTHAR DAOUDA\, Oriel College\, University of Oxford\nDR ROGER P L TEICHMANN\, St Hilda’s College\nDR ALBERTO GIUBILINI\, Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-oriel-college-oxford-may-2023
LOCATION:Harris Lecture Theatre\, Oriel College\, Oriel Square\, Oxford\, OX1 4EW\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Oxford-twitter-3-May-blue-v2-1-scaled.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230502T200000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230502T220000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230418T132131Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230418T135945Z
UID:445-1683057600-1683064800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Locke and Liberty: why toleration still matters today
DESCRIPTION:Living Freedom university primer at Radley College. \nThe rise of cancel culture has made many nervous about free expression and open debate\, even though academic freedom is a core value – and legal duty – of universities. Many students – and even academics – report they self-censor; student societies often encounter problems in terms of inviting diverse speakers. \n  \nHowever\, if universities are to fulfil their purpose as spaces in which to freely explore ideas and develop knowledge\, then nothing should be beyond question or beyond the scope of debate. For students who want to take discussion and debate seriously and make the most of university life\, tolerating different views will be essential.   \n  \nBut what does toleration mean? Today\, while values of tolerance and respect are rhetorically espoused\, increasingly it is argued that tolerating free expression has its limits and society should not be placed at risk of intolerant ideas or even overly judgemental views. Should we tolerate free expression\, or retain a right to be intolerant of intolerance? \nIn this special university primer event\, Tiffany Jenkins will look at the emergence of the important ideal of toleration and explore why it remains important today.  After a short\, accessible talk\, there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.  \n  \nSPEAKER\nDR TIFFANY JENKINS\, writer and broadcaster; author\, Strangers and Intimates: the rise and fall of private life\nTiffany Jenkins is a writer\, author and broadcaster. Her last book\, Keeping Their Marbles: How Treasures of the Past Ended Up in Museums and Why They Should Stay There\, was published in 2016 to critical acclaim. Her next book\, Strangers and Intimates: the rise and fall of private life\, will be published in 2023 by Picador. Tiffany is an honorary fellow in Art History at the University of Edinburgh\, and is host of the podcast Behind the Scenes at the Museum\, in which she talks to key figures about the big ideas rocking the cultural world\, charting the trends and dissecting the controversies. She has written and presented several programmes for BBC Radio 4\, including the series A Narrative History of Secrecy. \n  \nMODERATOR\nALASTAIR DONALD\, convenor\, Living Freedom  \nAlastair Donald is convenor of Living Freedom\, the initiative organised by educational charity Ideas Matter to encourage young adults to explore the meaning and ideals of freedom. He is also associate director at Academy of Ideas and co-convenor of Battle of Ideas festival. \n  \nANY QUESTIONS?\nFor more information\, contact Alastair Donald: info@livingfreedom.org.uk
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/locke-and-liberty-why-toleration-still-matters-today
LOCATION:Science Lecture Theatre\, Radley College\, Abingdon\, Oxfordshire\, OX14 2HR
CATEGORIES:University Primer
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/locke-radley-may-2023.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230426T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230426T203000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230411T152333Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230421T101546Z
UID:424-1682535600-1682541000@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Why debating matters in an era of cancel culture
DESCRIPTION:This event is free\, but please register using the form below. \nThe rise of cancel culture has made many nervous about free expression and open debate. Even though academic freedom is a core value – and a legal duty – of universities\, many students – and even academics – report they self-censor; student societies often encounter problems in terms of inviting diverse speakers. \nIn one such example of the constraints on debate and free speech on campus\, last year\, Academy of Ideas director\, Claire Fox was invited to speak at Royal Holloway’s Debating Society. Yet an invite to talk about the importance of debate was then turned into a bureaucratic nightmare – with risk assessments\, safeguarding checks and other onerous procedures enforced by the students’ union. Eventually\, the students’ union successfully put the Society under pressure to cancel the event – ostensibly because Claire retweeted a clip of Ricky Gervais satirising the gender wars. \nIn this special Living Freedom University Salon at University of Cambridge\, Claire will give the talk on ‘why debating matters’ that was intended for Royal Holloway students. This is followed by a conversation with Omar Loubak\, a student and former organiser of the debating society at Royal Holloway. \nSPEAKERS\n\nClaire Fox\ndirector\, Academy of Ideas; independent peer\, House of Lords; author\, I STILL Find That Offensive! \nOmar Loubak\nDebating Society\, Royal Holloway University of London \nCHAIR\nJames Orr\nassociate professor of Philosophy of Religion\, University of Cambridge \nVENUE\nNewton Room\, The Pitt Building\, Trumpington Street\, Cambridge\, CB2 1RP\nREGISTER\nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Submit
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/why-debating-matters-in-an-era-of-cancel-culture-cambridge
LOCATION:Cambridge University – The Pitt Building\, Trumpington St\,\, Cambridge\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CAMBRIDGE-LF-April-26-version1-copy-2-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230417T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230417T203000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230321T132110Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230403T133112Z
UID:172-1681758000-1681763400@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence: implications for freedom
DESCRIPTION:London Freedom Forum \nGenerative AI like ChatGPT and Midjourney have captured the public imagination and barely a day now passes without claim and counter-claim as to benefits or threats posed by artificial intelligence. On the one side stand those who see in these new technologies as a means to liberate humanity through a new\, potentially boundless source of human creativity. Do we stand on the cusp of transforming education\, healthcare\, manufacturing\, artistic endeavours and more? On the other\, stand those who see AI as degrading science\, debasing ethics and denuding humans of agency. To what extent are we faced with a potential threat in the search for truth\, not to mention the risk of manipulation and censorship that place freedom of speech and other freedoms in peril? \nGiven all the hype\, what actually is generative technology? Given the potential risks and multiple claims on behalf of Chat GPT and generative technology\, is this technology overhyped or undervalued? Is creeping automation about to make workers obsolete? For example\, should journalists fear being replaced by machines now that some newspapers use AI to write articles? And what of the wider implications of this technology? Are we realising the potential for liberation\, or a threat to liberty? \nSPEAKER\nSandy Starr\, deputy director of the Progress Educational Trust \nRESPONDENTS\nTom Collyer\, researcher\, Ideas Matter\nElla Nixon\, art historian \nCHAIR\nJacob Reynolds\, convenor\, The Academy \nREGISTER \nThe event is free but registration is required. Please complete the form below. \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Submit
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/chat-gpt-and-artificial-intelligence-implications-for-freedom
LOCATION:Ideas Matter Club\, 5-8 The Sanctuary\, London\, England\, SW1P 3JS\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LONDON-LF-April-17-FINAL2-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230316T191500
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230316T201500
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230313T113725Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230322T180810Z
UID:100-1678994100-1678997700@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:What can we learn from...? Cambridge\, March 2023
DESCRIPTION:INTRODUCTION \n‘What can we learn from…?’ events take as a starting point important thinkers and cultural figures from the past. They offer an opportunity to understand the emergence of key ideals related to freedom and to explore and debate if and how they remain important in the present. \n\nThis event is supported by Free Speech Champions\n\nEach salon starts with short\, accessible talks from thought-provoking experts and critics who will offer insights into key thinkers in history. Talks are followed by plenty of time for discussion\, with the chance to ask questions and put forward points. Together we will interrogate why these thinkers and the ideas they promoted can offer valuable insights that help us understand freedom then and now. \nREGISTER \n\n\nEVENT\n\n\nThursday 16 March\, 7.15pm-9.15pm \nHistorically freedom of conscience has been a staple of liberal society. Join us to explore the historic roots and contemporary realities of this important ideal. \n1: Roger Williams: Freedom’s Prophet\nDr James Orr\, assistant professor of philosophy of religion\, University of Cambridge\nAmidst the heady religious ferment of the seventeenth century in North America\, Roger Williams – a minister\, theologian\, and alumnus of Pembroke College\, Cambridge – soon emerged as a central figure in the brewing conflicts over freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. Expelled by Puritan leaders from the Massachusetts Bay Colony\, Williams founded the Colony of Rhode Island with the express purpose of providing a space for the free expression of contested religious and political perspectives. A fierce and early critic of chattel slavery and the callous treatment of Native Americans\, Williams sowed the seeds for the idea that the freedom to criticise authorities and majorities is an indispensable enabling condition for civic flourishing. A reappraisal of his legacy and work offers us an opportunity to assess and contest the many and various fetters on free expression that have emerged across our institutional landscape today. \n2: Richard Wagner: Can we separate art from the artist?\nDavid Cotter\, academic\, musician and writer\nThe work of Richard Wagner is captivating\, but also challenging and unsettling. He believed art could be a unifying force for society. But like his operatic characters\, Wagner often rejected social norms and his notoriously anti-Semitic views have promoted some critics and institutions to argue his music should no longer be played. Today\, from writer JK Rowling to the recent award-winning film Tár\, the beliefs\, moral character or personality traits of artists are regularly asserted as key to judging the value of their work. But whatever an artists’ controversial or deeply unpleasant views\, should we be more willing to focus on the work itself? Or can we never really separate art from the artist? \nVENUE \nSidney Sussex College\nKnox-Shaw Room\nSidney St\, Cambridge CB2 3HU\nSee Google Maps for location. \nSPEAKERS \nDR JAMES ORR\nassistant professor of philosophy of religion\, University of Cambridge\nJames Orr is assistant professor of philosophy of religion at the University of Cambridge. He is Chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation UK\, a trustee of the St Paul’s Theological Centre and the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation and a member of the Advisory Councils of the New Social Covenant Unit\, the Free Speech Union\, History Reclaimed\, and Briefings for Britain. \nDAVID COTTER\nacademic\, musician and writer\nDavid Cotter is an academic and musician who has performed and spoken in 22 countries around the world. David’s recent publications include ‘The Creative Musical Mediation of Order and Chaos’ in Jordan Peterson: Critical Responses and ‘The Guitar Reimagined’ (co-authored with Marc Estibeiro) in Rethinking the Musical Instrument. David has also written for The Critic. He is currently completing his doctorate on co-performer collaboration in musical performance. \nCONVENORS \nALASTAIR DONALD\, convenor\, Living Freedom\nDAVID COTTER\, academic\, musician and writer\nCHARLIE BENTLEY-ASTOR\, English undergraduate\, freelance writer
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-cambridge-march-2023
LOCATION:Knox-Shaw Room\, Sidney Sussex College\, Sidney Street\, Cambridge\, CB2 3HU\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cambridge-16-March-prophet-and-artist-768x384-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20221215T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20221215T220000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230322T121856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231121T130440Z
UID:304-1671130800-1671141600@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Living Freedom Xmas Bash Balloon Debate
DESCRIPTION:On behalf of Living Freedom and Free Speech Champions\, we would like to invite you to join us for a drink\, some good company and a fun Xmas balloon debate. \nThis invitation only gathering will take place at the fabulous new Westminster home of UnHerd. Join us for drinks at the pay bar from 7pm. \nWhat: Living Freedom Xmas Balloon Debate\nWhen: Thursday 15 December 2022\, 7:00pm\nWhere: UnHerd\, 6 Old Queen Street\, Westminster\, London\,SW1H 9HP\nEntry strictly by RSVP: alastair@ideasmatter.org.uk \nWhat is the greatest representation of freedom in culture? \nA panel of six valiant freedom lovers will seek to convince you of their choice\, selected from cultural worlds\, whether art or the classics\, comedy or film\, literature or music. \nEach contestant will have just three minutes to present their case\, followed by a round of questions from the audience. Then there is a vote\, and the top three will be given an additional one minute to convince you to back their choice. \nWhich cultural representation of freedom – and its defender – deserves to stay in the balloon? You decide! \nOur brilliant panel comprises: \n\nCharlie Bentley-Astor freelance writer; theatre director; English undergraduate. Charlie is defending the Supermarine Spitfire.\nNick Dixon comedian; presenter\, GB News; host\, The Weekly Sceptic; co-host\, The Podcast of the Lotus Eaters. Nick is defending Brass Eye.\nRalph Leonard writer and commentator; contributor\, Areo\, author\, Letter on Liberty: Unshackling Intimacy. Ralph is defending Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate.\nRob Lownie editorial trainee\, UnHerd; founding member\, Free Speech Champions; contributor\, Free Speech: defending the fundamental liberal value. Rob is defending Team America: World Police.\nDr Maren Thom lecturer; writer; acting and vocal trainer; contributor\, The Conformist Rebellion. Maren is defending Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus\nEmma Webb director\, Common Sense Society\, UK branch; host\, Newspeak; commentator; writer; co-founder\, Save Our Statues. Emma is defending the cross\n\nHost: Alastair Donald convenor\, Living Freedom \nEntry is free\, but space is limited. So get your invitation now by replying to this email or emailing Alastair: alastair@ideasmatter.org.uk
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/living-freedom-xmas-bash-balloon-debate
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20221129T191500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20221129T211500
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230322T115021Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230322T180810Z
UID:294-1669749300-1669756500@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:What can we learn from…? Cambridge\, 29 November 2023
DESCRIPTION: ‘What can we learn from…?’ events take as a starting point important thinkers and cultural figures from the past. They offer an opportunity to understand the emergence of key ideals related to freedom and to explore and debate if and how they remain important in the present. \n \nThis event is supported by Free Speech Champions \nEach salon starts with short\, accessible talks from thought-provoking experts and critics who will offer insights into key thinkers in history. Talks are followed by plenty of time for discussion\, with the chance to ask questions and put forward points. Together we will interrogate why these thinkers and the ideas they promoted can offer valuable insights that help us understand freedom then and now. \nTuesday 29 November\, 7.15pm-9.15pm \nTALKS \nShort\, accessible talks from experts and critics will offer insights into Hannah Arendt and CLR James. \n1: Hannah Arendt and Totalitarianism – Jacob Reynolds\, convenor\, Hannah Arendt Study Group\nWhether prompted by concerns over draconian lockdowns\, new authoritarian political leaders\, policing of speech or outlawing demonstrations\, there’s been a revival of interest in Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism. From views on the destruction of individuality to the desire for safety\, Arendt was never shy of challenging orthodoxies and addressing profound moral questions. What can Arendt tell us about the problems with freedom today? \n3: CLR James and Universalism – Ralph Leonard\, writer\nAs a Marxist revolutionary and Pan-Africanist\, critic of European colonialism and respecter of Western civilisation\, classicist and lover of popular culture\, CLR James specialised in confounding expectations. Today\, when praise for ‘Western culture’ is often dismissed as ‘Eurocentrism’ and identity silos trump a sense of our shared humanity\, is a universalist outlook and an emphasis on what we have in common worth defending? What can we learn from a man once labelled ’the black Plato’? \nVENUE \nGonville and Caius College\nTrinity St\, Cambridge CB2 1TA\nSee Google Maps for location.\nLectures: Long Room\nSeminars: Long Room\, Senior Parlour Room \nSPEAKERS  \nJACOB REYNOLDS\nconvenor\, The Academy; external affairs manager\, boi charity\nJacob is partnerships manager at the Academy of Ideas. He read the BPhil in philosophy at St Cross College\, Oxford\, developing an interest in political and continental philosophy\, especially the work of Hannah Arendt. Before that\, Jacob read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield and co-ran the Sheffield Salon\, modelled on the salons of Enlightenment Europe. He spends his spare time drinking coffee\, writing and arguing about philosophy. \nRALPH LEONARD\nwriter; author\, Letter on Liberty:  Unshackling Intimacy contributor\, Areo Magazine\nRalph is a British-Nigerian writer and commentator on international politics\, culture and sex. He is the author of the Letters on Liberty pamphlet Unshackling Intimacy\, writes for UnHerd\, Areo and the Telegraph\, and is a regular guest on the Zer0 Books podcast. He also writes on religion\, human rights and international affairs. As an ardent secularist and leftist\, Ralph believes it is crucial to uphold the legacy of the Enlightenment\, and the project for the universal emancipation of humanity.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-cambridge-29-november-2023
LOCATION:Gonville and Caius College\, Trinity Street\, Cambridge\, CB2 1TA\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cambridge-29-november-2022.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20221101T191500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20221101T211500
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230322T111957Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230322T180810Z
UID:288-1667330100-1667337300@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:What can we learn from…? Cambridge\, 1 November 2023
DESCRIPTION: ‘What can we learn from…?’ events take as a starting point important thinkers and cultural figures from the past. They offer an opportunity to understand the emergence of key ideals related to freedom and to explore and debate if and how they remain important in the present. \n \nThis event is supported by Free Speech Champions \nEach salon starts with short\, accessible talks from thought-provoking experts and critics who will offer insights into key thinkers in history. Talks are followed by plenty of time for discussion\, with the chance to ask questions and put forward points. Together we will interrogate why these thinkers and the ideas they promoted can offer valuable insights that help us understand freedom then and now. \nTuesday 1 November\, 7.15pm-9.15pm \nTALKS \nShort\, accessible talks from experts and critics will offer insights into key John Locke and John Milton  \n1: John Locke and Toleration – Piers Benn\, philosopher\, author and lecturer\nIt was only in the 17th century that society started to tolerate competing religions and beliefs. Today\, values of tolerance and respect are regularly upheld. But some argue that tolerating free expression has its limits and society should not be placed at risk of intolerant ideas or even overly judgemental views. Should we tolerate free expression\, or retain a right to be intolerant of intolerance? \n \n2: Milton and Liberty – Andrew Doyle\, author\, The New Puritans\n“Give me liberty to know\, to utter\, and to argue freely according to conscience”\, declared the poet John Milton in Areopagitica. Often associated with 17th-century non-conformist Puritans\, Milton rejected licensing of printed texts and rebuffed the notion that prohibitions\, bans or force could create virtuous men. Today\, amidst the rise of a new puritanism\, being offensive can be deemed an offence\, demands for ‘social justice’ brook no dissent while uttering uncomfortable truths can lead to public shaming. From the ages of the Puritans\, old and new\, what can we learn about the case for freedom of belief and expression? \n \nVENUE \nGonville and Caius College\nTrinity St\, Cambridge CB2 1TA\nSee Google Maps for location.\nLectures: Long Room\nSeminars: Long Room\, Senior Parlour Room \nSPEAKERS  \nANDREW DOYLE\npresenter\, Free Speech Nation\, GB News; author\, The New Puritans: how the religion of social justice captured the Western world\nAndrew Doyle is a writer\, comedian\, and a presenter on GB News. He is the author of Free Speech and Why It Matters (2021) and The New Puritans: how the religion of social justice captured the Western world (2022). He is the creator of the satirical character Titania McGrath\, who has published two books – Woke: a guide to social justice (2019) and My First Little Book of Intersectional Activism (2020).  He began presenting his show Free Speech Nation on GB News in June 2021. Before then he was a columnist for spiked\, a panellist on the BBC’s Moral Maze and regularly reviewed the papers on Sky News. \nDR PIERS BENN\nphilosopher and lecturer; author\, Intellectual Freedom and the Culture Wars\nPiers teaches philosophical ethics at Fordham University London Centre and his latest book is Intellectual Freedom and the Culture Wars.  His interests include ethics\, philosophy of religion and philosophy of psychiatry and he has taught at numerous universities including St Andrews\, Imperial College London and King’s College London. During the 1990s\, he organised seminars for students in Poland and the Czech Republic\, in collaboration with host institutions struggling to rebuild education after the communist period. He is a regular media commentator.
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/what-can-we-learn-from-cambridge-1-november-2023
LOCATION:Gonville and Caius College\, Trinity Street\, Cambridge\, CB2 1TA\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cambridge-1-november-2022.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20200319T194500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20200319T214500
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230329T135705Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230329T135705Z
UID:379-1584647100-1584654300@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Freedom Forum Theatre Club: 'Sticks and Stones'\, Tristan Bates Theatre\, London
DESCRIPTION:We’ll meet at the Tristan Bates Theatre to see the new play ‘Sticks and Stones’ which explores some thorny questions related to identity politics\, class and freedom of speech. \nAfter the play\, we’ll be going to a nearby bar for a drink with playwright Dameon Garnett who will be available to chat about Stick and Stones and the issues it raises around freedom – including why The Actors Centre cancelled the planned post-performance in-conversation at the theatre that was to explore the issues around freedom raised by the play. \nAnyone coming to this meetup can take advantage of the Living Freedom group booking tickets at a reduced price of £5 (full price is £15). These must be booked through Paypal below. \n‘STICKS AND STONES’ (2020)\nsee https://www.actorscentre.co.uk/theatre/sticks-and-stones \n‘Under the law you are guilty\, I would say\, of a hate crime’. \nAfua\, a black senior manager in a secondary school\, is asked to investigate online comments by a white colleague\, Tina; a woman she thought was a friend. Do Tina’s comments constitute hate speech\, and\, if so\, should the police get involved? Afua has always fought for women’s rights\, and Tina is a wronged woman\, but with an axe to grind that even Afua is not prepared for. \nIn an intensely claustrophobic setting\, the clash between the two women becomes increasingly explosive; opening up questions around speech\, power\, race and class\, that perhaps modern Britain is not ready to answer. \n‘You can’t deny Garnett’s bruising energy’; Michael Billington\, The Guardian
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/freedom-forum-theatre-club-sticks-and-stones-tristan-bates-theatre-london
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/MeetUp-Graphic-march23-copy.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20200303T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20200303T210000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230329T135132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230329T135402Z
UID:376-1583262000-1583269200@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Freedom Forum Film Club: 'The Witch'
DESCRIPTION:‘The Witch’ is the Sundance prize-winning film from Robert Eggers who has just released ‘The Lighthouse’. Ahead of Living Freedom School 2020\, this is an opportunity to chat about some themes that we’ll get to grips with at the school including demonology\, heresy and moral panics. \nSet in early 17th century\, Robert Eggers’s Sundance prize-winning feature debut ‘The Witch: A New-England Folktale’ tells the story of a puritanical English family’s torment as they’re exiled to the wilderness from their New World community. This is the age when anxieties about witchcraft and anti-witch hysteria were gathering momentum. While the film is heavy on period detail\, reviewers have said it also speaks to important issues our times. What does this 21st century take on the figure of the witch tell us about then and now? \nAfter the film\, there will be a short ‘in-conversation’ with Maren Thom\, a researcher in film\, freelance writer and director\, acting workshops. \n£3 entry payable on the door covers popcorn and a glass of wine / beer
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/freedom-forum-film-club-the-witch
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WitchMeetUp_graphic-mar23-version-copy.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20191204T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20191204T220000
DTSTAMP:20260409T174656
CREATED:20230329T140035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230329T140135Z
UID:382-1575486000-1575496800@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Freedom Forum Xmas Bash Balloon Debate
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a drink\, good company and a fun Xmas balloon debate. \nWhat is the most important representation of freedom in culture? A panel of six valiant freedom lovers will seek to convince you of their choice\, from art to non-fiction to literature. \nThey each have just three minutes to present their case\, followed by a round of questions from the audience. Then there is a vote\, and the top three will be given an additional one minute to convince you to back their choice. \nWhich cultural representation of freedom – and its defender – deserves to stay in the balloon? You decide! \n\nMadalina Benderschi anthropology undergraduate\, UCL and Living Freedom alumnus; defending ‘The Myth Of Sisyphus’ (1942) by Albert Camus\nManick Govinda independent arts consultant; defending ‘Convergence’ (1952) by Jackson Pollock\nDr Beth Guilding academic\, Goldsmiths\, University of London; defending ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy (1995-2000) by Philip Pullman\nAtyab Rashid incoming vice president\, King’s College London Liberal Democrat Society; defending ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ (2010) by Kanye West\nDavid Bowden associate fellow\, Academy of Ideas; defending ‘Paradise Lost’ (1667) by John Milton\nJessica Ní Mhainín policy research and advocacy officer\, Index on Censorship; defending ‘Taste of Freedom’\, Futurama (2002) by Matt Groening\n\n£3 entry payable on the door – includes glass of wine / beer
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/freedom-forum-xmas-bash-balloon-debate
CATEGORIES:Freedom Forum
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Xmas-balloon-debate-march23-version.jpg
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