Acclaimed Philosopher Discusses Social Justice in Lawrence University Convocation

APPLETON, WIS. -- Influential author and scholar Martha Nussbaum, hailed by The New York Times as "America's most prominent woman philosopher," shares her views on modern international social justice Thursday, April 19 in a Lawrence University convocation.

Nussbaum presents, "Global Duties: Cicero's Problematic Legacy," at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel as part of the college's 2000-2001 convocation series. Nussbaum also will conduct a question-and-answer session at 2 p.m. in Riverview Lounge of the Lawrence Memorial Union. Both event are free and open to the public.

In her address, Nussbaum will discuss contemporary social responsibilities of "duties of justice" and "duties of materialism" in the context of a historical analysis of the philosophy of ancient Rome's famed statesman and scholar, Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Widely considered one of America's leading intellectuals, Nussbaum is the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago. She also holds appointments in the University of Chicago's philosophy department, the law school and the divinity school.

A classicist who draws from Aristotle and other Greek philosophers, Nussbaum believes philosophers should act as "lawyers for humanity" to address questions of justice. She has written nine books on topics ranging from contemporary feminism to international development, including, "Sex and Social Justice," which received the North American Society for Social Philosophy's book award in 2000, "Poetic Justice," and "Cultivating Humanity: A Classical Defense of Radical Reform in Higher Education." She also has edited 10 other books, including "The Quality of Life" with Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, and "Women, Culture and Development."

Nusssbaum's most recent book, "Women and Human Development: The Capabilities Approach," which was published last year, examines issues of women's rights in India from a feminist philosophical perspective. In addition to the University of Chicago, Nussbaum also has taught at Harvard, Brown, and Oxford universities. From 1986 to 1993, Nussbaum was a research advisor at the World Institute for Development Economics Research (WIDER) in Helsinki, a part of the United Nations University.

She earned her bachelor's degree from New York University and her master's and doctorate degrees from Harvard. Nussbaum also has been awarded 12 honorary degrees from Grinnell College, Williams College, the University of Toronto and St. Andrews University, among others.