THE PURPOSE OF THE SYMPOSIUM

Founded in 1989 in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University, the Symposium on Science, Reason, and Modern Democracy and the LeFrak Forum are centers for research and debate on the theory and practice of modern democracy. They sponsor lectures, conferences, publication, and teaching, as well as graduate, post-doctoral, and senior fellowships. Their specific mission is to explore the intersection of philosophy and public policy: to place theoretical issues in practical context and policy issues in philosophical perspective.

As Abraham Lincoln once remarked: “No policy that does not rest upon some philosophical public opinion can be permanently maintained.” This is especially true in the post-traditional world of modern politics, which was consciously constructed on the basis of theoretical ideas and principles. But precisely due to their all-pervasive importance, these foundational ideas often recede into an invisible background where they continue to shape our practical, policy debates but escape their direct attention. The Symposium and the Forum seek to solve this problem by emphasizing the theoretically informed study of practical questions.

In this endeavor, it is extremely important that all points of view be heard. But today, within the universities, the spectrum of opinion has become dangerously narrow. The Symposium and the Forum are dedicated to fostering genuine intellectual debate, especially by introducing voices not regularly heard on university campuses — thinkers from the classical liberal, libertarian, and conservative traditions and other dissenters from reigning academic orthodoxies. In almost two hundred lectures at Michigan State University, more than a dozen international conferences, and a steady stream of publications, we bring together prominent and accomplished thinkers — academics, journalists, policy analysts, and figures from culture and the arts — to discuss, debate, and produce original studies of the pressing political and intellectual issues of our times.

We invite you to explore our web site and learn about the many programs sponsored by the Symposium and the Forum. We also urge you to attend the free lectures on campus at Michigan State University. You can view previous lectures in our archives.

SYMPOSIUM ON SCIENCE, REASON AND MODERN DEMOCRACY AWARDED NEH GRANT

MSU earns NEH award to fund Symposium, Reason, and Modern Democracy
by Tom Oswald (from MSU Today)

September 9, 2004 - MSU has been awarded a “challenge grant” from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) — a first for MSU — for the purpose of creating a permanent endowment for the Symposium on Science, Reason and Modern Democracy.

The Symposium, also known as the LeFrak Forum sponsors lectures, conferences and publication, as well as graduate, post-doctoral and senior fellowships — all devoted to the theme of “the theory and practice of modern democracy.”

Founded in 1989, the Symposium has sponsored more than 200 lectures on the MSU campus; played host to more than a dozen international conferences in locations such as Lisbon, Munich and Budapest; and overseen a large array of publications, including proceedings from the conferences.

“This challenge grant is both an honor and a challenge,” said Arthur M. Melzer, MSU political science professor and one of the program’s three co-directors.

The honor is in the fact that MSU is one of only 17 institutions and one of only two universities in the country to receive such a grant. Additionally, MSU was one of only four institutions to earn a special “We the People” award, a unique recognition for model projects that advance the study and teaching of American history and culture.

But the challenge, Melzer said, lies in the fact that, to receive the full $500,000, MSU must match these funds on a three-to-one basis.“The clock is ticking,” he said. “We have only three-and-a-half years in which to raise the $1.5 million match.”

The specific mission of the Symposium — drawn from the tradition of liberal education — is to explore the intersection of philosophy and public policy, said Richard Zinman, forum co-director and a University Distinguished Professor of political theory in MSU’s James Madison College.

“We seek to place theoretical issues in practical context and policy issues in philosophical perspective,” he said. The forum aims to produce politically balanced and intellectually rigorous programs that bridge the divide between the social sciences and humanities as well as between the university and the outside world.

This grant is the most prestigious national award given for a program of this kind,” said Marietta L. Baba, dean of the MSU College of Social Science. “It is a fitting tribute to an excellent program.”

The Symposium is now gearing up for an intensive fund-raising campaign.“We are calling on all the friends of our program both locally and nationally,” said co-director Jerry Weinberger, professor and former chairperson of political science. “The university has been extremely generous in committing its resources to the campaign.”

“For 15 years, the Symposium has provided the MSU community with programs of exceptional quality,” said MSU Provost and President Designate Lou Anna K. Simon. “This is a high and well-deserved honor. The award of this NEH challenge grant is path-breaking for MSU and exemplifies the academic strength and innovation of the Symposium, the Department of Political Science and the College of Social Science.”

For information on contributing, contact: Arthur Melzer