Title: Freedom and Liberty: What Do We Mean?
Taught by: Prof. Rico McCahon
When: Wednesday evenings in May 2012 from 6 – 8:30 pm (except May 2nd)
Though we live in a society that can use the terms “liberty” and “freedom” with great flair and effect, what exactly do they mean? Were they always used the way we use them? If America is “the land of the free”, why are the other countries not? These and many other questions will be addressed in this four week seminar series devoted to unpacking the terms “liberty” and “freedom”.
The course will move through history and discern how these ubiquitous terms were used and where they were different from how we understand them today. Key points of interest include:
- What do Creation Stories tell us about human nature and how we see our own freedom?
- How did the invention of Democracy in ancient Athens help shape our ideals?
- How does religion and freedom conflict or coincide?
- What assumptions did Enlightenment thinkers make that would set the tone of freedom?
- How do we now understand freedom and liberty?
Finally, Professor McCahon will be presenting his own Masters work from Dartmouth College on the relationship between group dynamics and the demands of freedom. This has been presented at conferences held at Dartmouth College, St Mary’s College in London, and Notre Dame College.
No matter where you find yourself in terms of liberty and freedom, you will walk away with a solid understanding of where these powerful ideas have come from and why they appear as they do in our culture. There will be a mixture of lecture, discussion, and plenty of readings from the very people who grappled with these concepts. These readings will include: Plato, Aristotle, Montesquieu, John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, Isaiah Berlin, Ronald Reagan, John Paul II, and others.
The class will meet once a week on Wednesday evenings in May 2012 from 6:00 to 8:30pm at Liberty Harbor Academy, 1230 Elm Street, Manchester, New Hampshire. (There will be no class on May 2nd.) The seminar fee is $99.00. Space is limited, please reserve as soon as possible online through the registration page below or by phone at 603 296-0939.
About the Presenter
Professor Rico McCahon is a founder and faculty member of Liberty Harbor Academy. He holds degrees from Southern New Hampshire and Dartmouth College. McCahon has written and presented extensively on such topics as evolution, freedom, mimetic theory, religion, history of Roman Catholic theology and much more.
