Upcoming Events
Cosmopolitan Initiative Lecture Series: "Exploring Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration"
Oct. 7, 2021 at 6 p.m.
State Farm Lecture Hall - BAS, MTSU
About the Lecture: American policy-makers have long been locked in a heated battle over whether, how many, and what kind of immigrants to allow to live and work in the country. Those in favor of welcoming more immigrants often cite humanitarian reasons, while those in favor of more restrictive laws argue the need to protect native citizens. In this lecture, Dr. Bryan Caplan, professor of economics at George Mason University and PERI affiliated faculty member at MTSU, discusses how opening all borders could eliminate absolute poverty worldwide and usher in a booming worldwide economy―greatly benefiting humanity. As a New York Times bestselling author, Caplan makes the case for unrestricted immigration easy to follow and hard to deny in Open Borders.
About this Series: The lead sponsor for this lecture series is Dr. Ming Wang. Upcoming guest lectures will be moderated by Dr. Wang and faculties of the MTSU Political Economy Research Institute. As economist Peter J. Boettke writes in his book The Struggle for a Better World, “Economic ideas play a vital role in the struggle to realize a better world. The hope for the twenty-first century, after the bloodshed of the twentieth and the inauspicious beginning of this century in terrorism and militarism, resides in the liberal ideal of a free and prosperous cosmopolitan order. We need an ethic for strangers that transcends national borders, rather than an ethic of geopolitics that rewards allies and aggresses against perceived enemies. The civilizing role of commerce and trade, a role recognized by the classics such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, Hume and Smith, must be appreciated once again.”
Cosmopolitan Initiative Lecture Series: "Seeking Common Ground in U.S. China Trade"
To promote a civil dialogue on the economic, philosophical, and political benefits of an interconnected, tolerant, and cosmopolitan world, this series explores the role of global trade, immigration, and de-escalation in establishing a more peaceful and prosperous future for all of humanity.
Due to changing conditions related to COVID-19, the inaugural lecture “Seeking Common
Ground in U.S. China Trade,” originally scheduled on Sept. 14 at MTSU, has been postponed.
We will be working to identify a new date for the event and announce new details as
soon as possible. Please visit this page or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter for the latest information. To receive email updates on this event, click the button
below to stay connected.
About the Speaker: Dr. Ming Wang, M.D., Ph.D., is a world-renowned laser eye surgeon, philanthropist, founder of the Wang Vision Institute, and a co-founder of the non-profit Common Ground Network. As a teenager, Ming fought valiantly to escape China’s Cultural Revolution – during which millions of innocent youth were deported to remote areas to face a life sentence of hard labor and poverty. He came to America with only $50 and earned two doctorate degrees, one in laser physics and one in medicine, and graduated with the highest honors from Harvard Medical School and MIT. Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration has helped patients from over 40 states in the U.S. and 55 countries, with all sight restoration surgeries performed free-of-charge. Dr. Wang was named the Kiwanis Nashvillian of the Year for his lifelong dedication to help blind orphaned children from around the world.
About this Series: The lead sponsor for this lecture series is Dr. Ming Wang. Upcoming guest lectures will be moderated by Dr. Wang and faculties of the MTSU Political Economy Research Institute. As economist Peter J. Boettke writes in his book The Struggle for a Better World, “Economic ideas play a vital role in the struggle to realize a better world. The hope for the twenty-first century, after the bloodshed of the twentieth and the inauspicious beginning of this century in terrorism and militarism, resides in the liberal ideal of a free and prosperous cosmopolitan order. We need an ethic for strangers that transcends national borders, rather than an ethic of geopolitics that rewards allies and aggresses against perceived enemies. The civilizing role of commerce and trade, a role recognized by the classics such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, Hume and Smith, must be appreciated once again.”
Federalists, Feminists, and Founders: Rare Texts Exhibition at MTSU
Sept. 17, 2021
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
MTSU Walker Library, Buchanan Reading Room (fourth floor, Room 448)
In celebration of 2021 Constitution Day at MTSU, a display of U.S. constitution-related
rare texts and documents from the Remnant Trust at Texas Tech University will be available
for public viewing on Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the MTSU Walker Library's
Buchanan Room. This exhibit is made possible by the generous support of the Honorable
J.S. "Steve" Daniel and Professor Lara Daniel, presented by the Political Economy
Research Institute, the University Honors College, and the MTSU American Democracy
Project.
Access to the exhibit is also available by special request to library or PERI staff from Aug. 23 through Sept. 17.
The exhibition includes the following texts and documents:
- The Federalist. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. 1802, Second Edition
- The Justice and Necessity of Taxing the American Colonies, Demonstrated. 1766, First Edition, Great Britain
- The Great Charter Called in Latyn Magna Carta. Magna Carta, 1542
- The Unconstitutionality of Slavery American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses. Lysander Spooner and Theodore Dwight Weld, 1839 - 1845, First Edition
- Acts Passed at the Congress of the United States of America. United States, 1789, First Octavo Edition
- The Constitution or Frame of Government, for the United States of America. United States, 1787, First Pamphlet Edition
- Extracts from the Votes and Proceedings of the American Continental Congress [and] Journal of the Proceedings of the Congress. United States, 1774-1775, First Edition
- Augustus Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. United States, 1789, First Book, Edition.
- [Declaration of Independence in] The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure. United States, 1776, First British
Edition - A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Mary Wollstonecraft, 1792, First Edition
Learn more: The Remnant Trust, Inc. is a public educational foundation that shares an actively growing collection of manuscripts, first edition and early works dealing with the topics of individual liberty and human dignity with some pieces dating as early as 2500 B.C. The Remnant Trust makes this collection available to colleges, universities and other organizations for use by students, faculty, scholars and the general public. Those exposed are encouraged to touch, feel and read the originals, including first English translations. The Remnant Trust, Inc. formed a partnership with Texas Tech University.
Maverick: A Biography on Thomas Sowell
Jason Riley, author and Wall Street Journal columnist, will be presenting a lecture on Feb. 17, 2022 at MTSU on his new book on economist Thomas Sowell. More details will be forthcoming for location and registration.
Partner Events
2021 Dr. Richard Gruetzemacher Constitution Day Lecture at UTC (Livestream)
“Lincoln, the Founding, and an America Worth Saving” with Dr. Lucas E. Morel
Monday, September 20th, 2021
6:30 p.m. CDT / 7:30 p.m. EDT
UC Auditorium and Raccoon Mountain Room
The general public, educators, and students from a variety of schools and colleges in the region are cordially invited to attend.
The event will also be streamed live at https://livestream.com/utc/2021constitutionDAY
Sponsored by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Center for Reflective Citizenship, the College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies, the Scott L. Probasco Distinguished Chair of Free Enterprise, and the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America’s Founding Principles and History.
For other information about the event, including reserved seating for groups and individuals, please contact Jeffrey Melnik, crc@utc.edu, 423-425-2118.
Lucas E. Morel is the John K. Boardman, Jr. Professor of Politics and Head of the Politics Department at Washington and Lee University. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Claremont Graduate University. Professor Morel also teaches in the Master’s Program in American History and Government at Ashland University in Ohio; lectures in summer programs for the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy; and conducts high school teacher workshops for the Jack Miller Center, John M. Ashbrook Center, Bill of Rights Institute, Gilder-Lehrman Institute, and Liberty Fund.
In 2020, Professor Morel published Lincoln and the American Founding for Southern Illinois University Press’s Concise Lincoln Library Series. His other books include Lincoln’s Sacred Effort: Defining Religion’s Role in American Self-Government; Lincoln and Liberty: Wisdom for the Ages; Ralph Ellison and the Raft of Hope: A Political Companion to Invisible Man; and The New Territory: Ralph Ellison and the Twenty-First Century.
AIER Bastiat Society of Nashville
“Build, Baby, Build; The Science and Ethics of Housing” with Dr. Bryan Caplan
Sept. 30, 2021
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Richland Country Club, 1 Club Dr, Nashville, TN 37215
AIER’s Bastiat Society program in Nashville will host an event with Bryan Caplan, New York Times Bestselling author and Professor of Economics at George Mason University and PERI affiliated Faculty member at MTSU. Eventbrite ticket required.
Bryan Caplan is a Professor of Economics at George Mason University and New York
Times Bestselling author. Bryan wrote The Myth of the Rational Voter , named “the
best political book of the year” by the New York Times , Selfish Reasons to Have More
Kids , The Case Against Education , and Open Borders (co-authored with Saturday Morning
Breakfast Cereal's Zach Weinersmith). His latest project, Poverty: Who To Blame ,
is now well underway. Bryan blogs for EconLog , and has been published in the New
York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, TIME, Newsweek, Atlantic, American
Economic Review, Economic Journal, Journal of Law and Economics, and Intelligence.
He has also appeared on ABC, BBC, Fox News, MSNBC, and C-SPAN.
Public Choice Society Annual Meeting - Nashville 2022
The 59th Annual Meetings of the Public Choice Society is set for March 10-12, 2022, at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee.
Society President William Shughart will be organizing the academic program. With over 70 planned concurrent sessions and three plenary sessions, the conference will bring together cutting edge research across all fields of public choice. Special sessions and events will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the publication of James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock's The Calculus of Consent: Logical Foundations of Constitutional Democracy. The conference will open at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday March 14, and conclude with a closing reception on Saturday evening.
Socializing and sustenance will be abundant, as the conference will feature common meals each day, coffee breaks between academic sessions, and cocktail receptions on Thursday and Saturday nights. Our annual awards luncheon on Saturday will announce the Duncan Black Prize, the Gordon Tullock Prize, and the eighth annual Elinor and Vincent Ostrom Prize for best combined paper and presentation by a graduate student. Our affiliate groups and sponsors will exhibit various opportunities including special publisher discounts available to conference attendees. Finally, the Grand Hyatt Nashville provides the ideal setting for us to gather amidst the history, culture and entertainment of this vibrant city. Paper and session submissions will be open from September 1 to November 1.
