The Fate of Freedom

The Fate of Freedom

6.30pm to 8.00pm, Tuesday, 12 January 2010
followed by a drinks reception
The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1

A British Academy discussion evening convened and chaired by:
Professor Sue Mendus, FBA, University of York

Speakers:
Shami Chakrabarti, CBE, Director, Liberty
Professor Chandran Kukathas, London School of Economics & Political Science
Professor Matt Matravers, University of York

In his 1859 essay, On Liberty, John Stuart Mill lamented what he saw as the
decline of freedom in his own day. He wrote, ‘There is in the world at large an
increasing inclination to stretch unduly the powers of society over the
individual both by the force of opinion and even by that of legislation.’ And
he predicted that unless strong barriers were raised against this ‘mischief’
individual liberty would be under ever-increasing threat.

Was Mill right? Has freedom been eroded or extended? How much freedom do we
have in Britain today and how much can we legitimately want? Does the existence
of the Human Rights Act serve as an effective defence of liberty? What are the
implications for freedom of counter-terrorist legislation, of ASBOs, or of the
DNA database? These are some of the questions which will be addressed as the
speakers explore both the philosophical arguments for freedom and the
implications of those arguments for politics in the modern world. What has
been, and what will be, the fate of freedom?

About the Speakers
The panel include Professor Sue Mendus, Vice-President of the British Academy
and Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of York; Shami
Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, the National Council for Civil Liberties;
Professor Chandran Kukathas, Professor of Political Theory at the LSE; and
Professor Matt Matravers, Professor of Political Philosophy and Director of the
Morrell Centre for Toleration at the University of York.

Panel Discussion
6.30 – 8.00pm, followed by a reception. Registration is not required for this
event. Seats will be allocated on arrival.

The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH Tel: 020 7969
5200, Fax: 020 7969 5300, Web: www.britac.ac.uk

Published: 12.15.09 / 1pm
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