"American Universities and the Principles of Liberty"
San Jose, California
January 13-16, 2005

Twelve outstanding undergraduate students, both from the humanities and the sciences, gathered in San Jose, California for a weekend to discuss the relationship between liberty and community. They were led in discussion by ISI faculty members, Dr. David Corey from Baylor University and Dr. Ralph Hancock from Brigham Young University.

The colloquium began with a discussion of Ferdinand Tonnies' Community and Civil Society. The students explored the concept of gemeinshaft and gesellshaft. The former term describes the personal relationship embodied in "community," and the latter term describes the more formal relationships expressed in the idea of "civil society." Other readings included selections of Richard Weaver, Robert Nisbet, and Alexis de Tocqueville. Throughout the conversation several themes appeared, one of which is the idea of individualism. Participants discussed both Thoreau's isolating individualism and also what it means to belong to civil society, as described by Weaver. Turning to Nisbet, participants discussed what happens to traditional institutions, e.g. the family, when the state takes over their roles. A lively discussion of Tocqueville followed, and the question of associations was explored. The importance of associations to society and to individuals and the role of self-interest were at the core of the conversation. The conference concluded with F.A. Hayek and Robert Nozick. These readings engaged the question of individualism and community choice.

This conference is part of the American Universities and Principles of Liberty in The Twenty-First Century colloquia program. It is co-sponsored with Liberty Fund, Inc.

Photos courtesy of Dan Branum.