Freedom and Equality: Ancient and Modern

In this presidential cycle in the United States both major political parties have brought issues of freedom and equality center stage. But there is little agreement in modern democratic societies on what we mean by freedom and equality. For instance, does freedom in a democratic society mean reproductive choice, or does it mean the right to bear arms; the freedom to love whomever you choose, or the freedom to exercise and express sincerely held religious beliefs; the freedom to mind your own business or the freedom to protect traditional values? Similar questions have been raised over equality. Does equality in modern societies require institutional neutrality or does it require the promotion of cultural, racial, and gender diversity; does it require equality of opportunity that allows for significant economic inequality of outcome, or does it require significant redistribution? This panel proposes to examine fundamental questions of freedom and equality in the history of political thought, which we believe can provide a multiplicity of different perspectives on these important issues.