"The fragmented nature of current scholarship makes events like Scholarship and the Free Society especially helpful and informative. Bringing together economists, philosophers, and legal scholars to discuss the role of liberal ideas serves a valuable purpose. I learned a great deal not only about each discipline's insights but also about their interaction in shaping the contemporary world." -- William Hay, Ph.D. candidate in history, University of Virginia

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Scholarship and the Free Society is a conference-style seminar designed to meet the unique interests of graduate students pursuing careers in academia and research. The focus is on gaining an enhanced, multidisciplinary understanding of the intellectual tradition and current scholarship surrounding rights, markets, tolerance, voluntary cooperation, and peace. Participants have the opportunity to:

• Exchange ideas with a variety of bright, open-minded students
  
• Learn about trends in classical liberal scholarship
  
• Grapple with challenges to the classical liberal paradigm
  
• Discuss research interests with faculty and grad student peers
  
• Gain insights about graduate school, the dissertation, and the academic job market
  

SEMINAR FEATURES In addition to lectures on topics such as liberalism and rights, the nature of the state, knowledge and markets, the role of culture, and law in a free society, the seminar will feature many simultaenous sessions. Participants can choose among: Current Research A faculty member presents one of her areas of inquiry and invites comments and discussion Career Workshops Insights from experienced academics, with applications to specific disciplines Challenges Small-group discussion of pre-selected readings that raise challenges and questions State of the Discipline A faculty member surveys ontemporary issues in his discipline and opportunities for classical liberal scholarship Panel Presentations An advanced graduate student presents a paper for comment by a faculty member Open Forums Participants can organize a discussion of live issues that emerge during the seminar Plus: Evening Discussion Groups -- a famous feature of IHS seminars, where participants raise issues for peer discussion. Socializing, with refreshments, each night Free time every afternoon Tuesday afternoon & evening free for recreation and sightseeing	WHO ATTENDS FOUNDATIONS OF LIBERTY? Approximately 70-75 participants from across the United States and other countries Graduate students, graduating seniors, and recent graduates Interested in classical liberal ideas -- from sympathetic to intrigued to skeptical Intending to pursue research and writing in the humanities, social sciences, or law Committed to open academic inquiry and creative problem-solving 1999 SEMINAR FACULTY Faculty participating throughout the week include: Richard Adlestein, economics and law, Wesleyan University Paula Baker, history, University of Pittsburgh Peter Boettke, economics, George Mason University Paul Edwards, law and political science, Brigham Young Univesity Leonard P. Liggio, history, Institute for Humane Studies David Schmidtz, philosophy and economics, University of Arizona Jeremy Shearmur, political thought, Australian National University
"I had always though that 'community' might be a blind spot for libertarian thought: that emphasising the bond between political and economic liberty always ends up affirming some sort of abstract individualism. What I hadn't guessed was the historical relationship between classical liberalism and modes of voluntary association and self-government. Both Jeremy Shearmur and Lynne Kiesling opened up, in an extremely nuanced way, possibilities for thinking 'community' outside or beyond boundaries and frontiers. In the discussion groups (e.g., with David Schmidtz) this turned around questions of the libertarian commitment to theories of natural law, as well as its location within the broader liberal tradition of cosmopolitanism. None of this I had thought about before. My research is taking a somewhat different course as a result." -- Simon Hollis, M.A., Critical Theory, University of Sussex
IHS ALUMNI GRAD STUDENTS If you are interested in coming back to an IHS seminar in a special role, with some discussion leadership responsibilities and the opportunity to participate in many sessions, please contact Dr. Paul Edwards at the Institute: pedward2@gmu.edu.
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