Events

Abolishing the Political Class, From Aristotle to Hayek

Hosted by the Hayek Programme in Economics and Liberal Political Economy

Online and in-person public event (Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building)

Speakers

Lord Sumption

Lord Sumption

Professor Martin Loughlin

Professor Martin Loughlin

Discussant

Dr Munira Mirza

Dr Munira Mirza

Discussant

Chair

Professor Nicola Lacey

Professor Nicola Lacey

This event is the formal launch of the Hayek Programme in Economics and Liberal Political Economy at LSE and picks up on themes in Hayek’s writings and that of many thinkers through the ages.

It will examine the desire among some members of the public to have a democracy without parties or professional politicians, an idea which has its roots in the ancient world. Jonathan Sumption will first discuss such arguments after which there will be a panel discussion. 

Meet our speakers and chair

Jonathan Sumption is a British author, medieval historian and former senior judge who sat on the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom between 2012 and 2018. He delivered the 2019 BBC Reith Lectures under the title Law and the Decline of Politics.

Martin Loughlin is Professor of Public Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science and author, most recently, of Against Constitutionalism (2022) and Political Jurisprudence (2017).

Munira Mirza is a policy advisor and author. She served as the Head of the No 10 Policy Unit between 2019-2022 and Deputy Mayor of London for Education and Culture between 2008-16. She earned her doctorate in sociology at the University of Kent and has written several publications, including The Politics of Culture: The Case for Universalism (Palgrave Macmillan 2011).

Nicola Lacey is School Professor of Law, Gender and Social Policy. From 1998 to 2010 she held a Chair in Criminal Law and Legal Theory at LSE; she returned to LSE in 2013 after spending three years as Senior Research Fellow at All Souls College, and Professor of Criminal Law and Legal Theory at the University of Oxford. She is also an Associate of the International Inequalities Institute at LSE. She has held a number of visiting appointments, most recently at Harvard Law School. 

More about this event

This event is part of the Hayek Programme in Economics and Liberal Political Economy.

The Department of Economics (@LSEEcon) at LSE is one of the largest economics departments in the world. Its size ensures that all areas of economics are strongly represented in both research and teaching.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEHayek

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