Spring 2020

This was a very popular seminar attracting Harvard Business School students and Executive Education scholars in addition to the core group of undergraduates. Two extraordinary Boston area high school students also took part. The students grappled with fundamental questions on the nature of wealth and the rise of the modern capitalist economy. Led by Dr. Leonidas Zelmanovitz and Dr. Danilo Petranovich, the group examined classic works of Smith, Marx, Weber, Hayek, Keynes, and several contemporary writers. The discussion was lively and dynamic, with conversations spilling into the seminar breaks and the concluding reception.

The Great Conversation, a twelve week discussion group, took place both in person and online this semester. Despite the difficulties in adapting the course to an online format post Coronavirus, it maintained high attendance (32 per session) and quality with Dr. J. David Franks at the helm.

In collaboration with Harvard Law School’s Federalist Society through one of our student fellows Jim McGlone, we hosted R. R. Reno, Editor of First Things to give a lecture on his book Return of the Strong Gods. His talk challenged perceptions of higher education’s values, and called for greater solidarity between American citizens in contrast to the current focus on diversity.

In collaboration with the Harvard Business School’s Free Enterprise Club, we hosted Dr. James Piereson, Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow, to give a talk on Alexander Hamilton’s America. His talk provided historical and statistical information on the monetary policy enacted by Hamilton, and the benefits this system provided for U.S. credit in the international market. The talk was well attended by HBS students, undergraduate students and community members, with a valuable Q&A session afterwards adding to the experience.

In collaboration with the Scala Foundation, we ran an intensive weekend seminar on the history and philosophy of Personalism, a post-WWII movement among the Catholic intelligentsia including the future Pope John Paul II. Convened by Prof. Margarita Mooney, this seminar was primarily directed to Christian faculty and advanced graduate students working in history, philosophy, political theory, and theology. A dozen young scholars from Harvard University, Boston University, and Boston College, as well as two professors from Magdalen College, took part in the discussions.

While originally intended to be an in-person workshop hosted at Harvard, this event turned into our first online lecture, hosted by Dr. J. David Franks. The change also enabled us to gain a co-sponsorship with the Collegium Institute at UPenn. The subject material, T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, co-sponsorship, and the online access garnered nearly 50 attendees for the two hour and fifteen minute lecture. Participants were able to ask questions and make comments throughout the workshop, creating a lively atmosphere.

Fr. Jeffrey Langan led an online discussion on The Little Prince, contrasting it with Niccolò  Machiavelli’s The Prince for it’s viewpoints on the person and politics.