Conferences

Liberty Fund has held more than 4,000 conferences around the world based on the educational philosophy of our founder, Pierre Goodrich. These small, socratic-style conferences focus on themes of liberty and responsibility in economics, history, law, political thought, literature, philosophy, religion, the fine arts, and the natural sciences.

tmp21017 0867 sepia

Conversations Worth Having

Liberty Fund conferences reflect Pierre Goodrich’s conviction that education in a free society requires a dialogue among active minds freely engaging with ideas that shape human civilization and the free society. Our conversations are open ended. The purpose is neither to convey doctrine nor to reach consensus.

Mr. Goodrich did not believe a formula or a model could guarantee educational success. He thought of education as “something that happens within an individual,” and depends on personal desire and effort. Goodrich’s philosophy of education emphasizes reading important books and then engaging in discussions of their meaning and significance.

tmp21017 0652 sepia

A Format Designed to Engage

Liberty Fund conferences are invitation-only events focused on a set of readings that serve as the basis of the conference’s discussion. After reading, reflecting, and considering an author’s ideas, conference participants are ready to come together to discuss the author’s work in a Socratic setting. As Goodrich wrote, “By conversation the reasoning process and experience of each individual will be helped by other individuals, each of whom is the product of his own pressures, experiences, habits, and thoughts.”

tmp21017 0626 sepia

Discussion That Deepens Your Thinking

Liberty Fund conferences offer a unique blend of structure and freedom. Pierre Goodrich emphasized the importance of opportunities for spontaneous conversation: “sufficient time for discussion, formal and informal, should be allowed in an interval between the formal sessions.” Formal sessions are moderated by discussion leaders who “should confine themselves to a minimum activity of policing the discussion so that as much participation as possible may occur.” Goodrich’s Socratic approach presumes the radical equality of all participants. “Lecturing should be taboo either by the examiners or by individuals. It is the examiner’s right to interrupt the lecturer.” Our discussions can sometimes move in unanticipated directions, and at times allow experts to learn things from comparative novices. This process challenges the notion that anyone is the final authority on a topic under discussion.

 

CONFERENCE TOPICS

Liberty Fund conference topics align with the areas of inquiry described by our organization’s founder. They include Economics, Education, Fine Arts, History, Law, Literature, Science & Technology, Political Theory, and Theology & Philosophy.

Sign up for our newsletter

Stay connected with Liberty Fund’s quarterly newsletter featuring the latest news, book releases, and original content.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Global Reach

WorldMapGradient LibertyFund

 

Co-Sponsored Conference Program

In 2004, Liberty Fund began partnering with other organizations to expand our discussions to their networks. Through these partnerships, over 1,000 co-sponsored conferences have been held in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe.

Sign up for our newsletter

Stay connected with Liberty Fund’s quarterly newsletter featuring the latest news, book releases, and original content.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.