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University Communications

Jepson Leadership Forum 2009–10 season examines “The Common Good”

August 26, 2009

The complex tensions between the individual and the community, cooperation and competition, and regionalism and globalism will be the focus of the 2009–10 season of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies’ Jepson Leadership Forum at the University of Richmond.

The events include lectures by experts in economics, psychology, international poverty and aid, business, and philosophy. The opening speaker is Richard Reeves, author of an acclaimed biography on British public intellectual John Stuart Mill. In “The Individual and Society: How Would Mill Define ‘The Common Good’?” Reeves will discuss answers to questions such as: When is freedom of speech trumped by national security? What is the place of religion in secular politics? When and on what basis can the state interfere in the behavior of individuals? The event will be held Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Jepson Alumni Center. Tickets will be available Sept. 3. Reeves’ talk is also the James MacGregor Burns Lectureship in Leadership Studies and Biography and is cosponsored by the Robins School of Business.

All programs are free and open to the public. Tickets are required for most events and may be reserved two weeks before each event by calling 804-289-8980. For a nominal processing fee, tickets may be reserved online at modlin.richmond.edu. For group tickets, contact Sue Robinson Sain at 804-287-6522 or jepson@richmond.edu.

Other programs in the series include:

  • “A History of Violence,” Steve Pinker, the Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, Oct. 7, 12 p.m., Jepson Alumni Center. Pinker will discuss the features of the human mind that lead to violence and peace, and how the balance between the two has shifted over time.

  • “Hard Truths on Poverty and Human Rights,” Irene Zubaida Khan, secretary general of Amnesty International, Oct. 23, 12 p.m., Modlin Center for the Arts. Khan will discuss human beings’ responsibility to others to address poverty and human rights abuses.

  • “Dead Aid: The Moral Imperative to Find a Better Way in Africa,” Dambisa Moyo, an economist named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in the world for 2009, Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m., Modlin Center for the Arts. Moyo will discuss how foreign aid should be replaced with innovative ways to finance development in Africa.

  • “Living with Relativism: Can We Find a Common Good in a Morally Diverse World?” Jesse J. Prinz, distinguished professor of philosophy at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Jan. 27, 7 p.m., Jepson Alumni Center. Prinz will discuss how human societies do not revolve around a shared stock of values and how the search for a common good may begin with recognizing that there is no common good.

  • “The Power of We,” Robert B. Cialdini, social psychologist and author of the books “Influence: Science and Practice” and “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion,” which have sold two million copies and been published in 24 languages, Feb. 17, 7 p.m., Jepson Alumni Center. Cialdini will discuss some of the most challenging questions facing a group of people working together, including how groups of people arrive at a common good and how we build relationships to facilitate a given goal.

  • “A Community Conversation on the Common Good,” sponsored by the Jepson School of Leadership Studies and the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond, Leadership Metro Richmond and LEADVirginia. Seating will be very limited and tickets will not be required. For more information, e-mail Jepson@richmond.edu with "March 2" in the subject line or call 804-287-6522.

  • “Private Money/Public Causes,” sponsored by the Jepson School and Westhampton College. The program will focus on women in leadership and philanthropy, and details will be available in January 2010. Check the university’s calendar, call 804-287-6522 or visit jepson.richmond.edu for more information.