The Emergence and Enduring Influence of the Western “Isms”: Part II

A special two-part series with Lloyd S. Kramer, Professor of History and Faculty Director, Program in the Humanities

Contemporary societies are deeply divided by political and cultural polarizations in which opposing ideologies or influential “isms” shape our emotionally-charged public conflicts and define our personal identities.  When and how did these “isms” develop in Western Societies, and why do they continue to shape our political cultures and identities in today’s world? Lloyd Kramer provides an “encore series” on key modern “isms,” which he first examined at Humanities seminars in the contentious election year of 2012 —but to which he now returns in the rapidly changing political and cultural contexts of 2017.  Focusing on the history of “isms” and ideas that reappear constantly in current national debates, Professor Kramer will analyze how these ideas emerged and why they continue to elicit public passions and anxieties

Part 1: Thursday, February 9, 2017

9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Friday Center

Conservatism and Nationalism

Capitalism and Early Socialism

Concluding Discussion: Do Ideas or Economic Conditions have the Greatest Influence on Public Conflicts?

Part 2: Thursday, February 23, 2017

9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Friday Center

Liberalism and Feminism

Darwinism and Social Darwinism

Concluding Discussion: Do the Nineteenth-Century “Isms” still Define or Limit Our National Politics and Public Life?

Registration is $55 for one event, or $100 for both. Call 919-962-1544 to register, or register online.