Libertarianism

Libertarianism 14 January 2017Saturday 14th January 2017 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Senior Lecturer in Philosophy Arif Ahmed



The libertarian philosophy associated with F. A. Hayek, has its philosophical roots in the classical liberalism of the nineteenth century and in the philosophical views of Hume, Smith and Tocqueville. Libertarians emphasise freedom of the individual and the rule of law, preferring limited government and a small state. They tend to oppose welfare because they claim the poor are better served by high-growth economies than with handouts. However, their detractors suggest libertarians are indifferent to community needs and the suffering of the poor, and that they protect big business and those who aim to enrich themselves with little concern for others.
In contrast to the claims of the critics, philosopher Arif Ahmed, a self-described libertarian, believes that libertarian ideas can contribute to a good society, and he will help us gain a fuller and more nuanced understanding of libertarianism, focusing on the philosophical basis of these ideas and their relevance to a range of modern-day ethical, political and economic issues such as immigration, taxation, euthanasia, drug control, gay marriage, government surveillance, and free speech.
Arif Ahmed is a senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Cambridge. He studied mathematics at Oxford University, and Philosophy at Sussex and Cambridge. He has worked at Birmingham University and held visiting
positions at Sydney University, Central China Normal University, the Australian National University and the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa.
He is now Reader Philosophy at Cambridge and a fellow of Gonville and Caius College. He writes mainly on rational choice, but also has an interest in religion and has debated the subject against William Lane Craig, Tariq Ramadan, Rowan Williams and others. He is an atheist and a libertarian and his personal philosophical outlook is most closely allied with those of David Hume and Friedrich Hayek


“Join us for a thought-provoking examination of Libertarianism”
Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!
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