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Power, freedom, and justice: rethinking Foucault

Hosted by the Hayek Programme in Economics and Liberal Political Economy

In-person and online public event (Auditorium, Centre Building)

Speaker

Professor Mark Pennington

Professor Mark Pennington

Chair

Professor Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey

Professor Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey

What are the implications of Michel Foucault’s critical social theories for how we think about freedom, power, and justice?

Political economist Mark Pennington will address this question exploring themes from his forthcoming book Foucault and Liberal Political Economy: Power, Knowledge and Freedom. Pennington provides a unique engagement between Foucault’s account of power and knowledge and the most prominent theories of social justice in the liberal and social democratic traditions. He will suggest that the "positive" freedoms and rights favoured by contemporary liberal egalitarians, social democrats and standpoint theorists threaten to encase people in a web of bio-political surveillance "technologies" that narrow their scope to act as self-creating individuals. Building on this Foucauldian critique he will suggest that if we are to avoid the dangers of this species of "over-government" we may be best placed to re-explore the value of the "negative" freedoms and rights emphasised by the classical liberal tradition.

Pennington’s interpretation provides a unique dialogue between Foucault’s work and the quest for social justice, highlighting the ways in which we can address the complexities of modern governance and create a more just and free society. Don’t miss this opportunity to delve into a thought-provoking discussion on the intersections of power, freedom, and social change.

Meet our speaker and chair

Mark Pennington (@Kaleidicworld) has been Professor of Political Economy and Public Policy in the Department of Political Economy at King's College since January 2012 and was Head of Department between 2016 and 2020. Prior to joining King’s he taught for 12 years in the School of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary, University of London. He holds a PhD from LSE. Mark is currently Director of the Centre for the Study of Governance and Society.

Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey (@Cheryl_SB) is Graham Wallas Professor of Political Science at LSE, Fellow of the British Academy and served as Head of the LSE Government Department from 2019-2022. Her research interests are in political economy, legislatures, deliberation and accountability.

More about this event

Join us on campus or watch the event online at LSE Live. LSE Live is the home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.

Modern economic thinking needs to reaffirm and engage with sound Hayekian ideas in this age of global interconnectedness, when the world is coming to grips with multitude of challenges, including global pandemic, climate change, social inequities and inequalities, and politico-media complex. This can only be achieved through fostering dialogue among stakeholders, which include researchers, policymakers, experts, and key decision-makers. The Hayek Programme in Economics and Liberal Political Economy at LSE provides a space where this dialogue can happen. This programme aims to contribute to the research and public debate suited to the demands of 21st Century.

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Featured image (used in source code with watermark added): Photo by Kings College London via KCL Website. 

How can I attend? Add to calendar

This public event is free and open to all. This event will be a hybrid event, with an in-person audience and an online audience. 

For the in-person event: No ticket or pre-registration is required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. For any queries see LSE Events FAQ.

For the online event: Register for this event via LSE Live at Power, freedom, and justice: rethinking Foucault.

For any queries email events@lse.ac.uk.

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