Lebanon Valley College to hold International Symposium on Karl Popper and the Open Society Sept. 16 through 18

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Dr. Philip Benesch, LVC associate professor of politics is coordinating the symposium on Karl Popper and the Open Society

ANNVILLE, PA (09/09/2014)(readMedia)-- Lebanon Valley College will hold an international symposium on Karl Popper and the Open Society on Tuesday, Sept. 16 through Thursday, Sept. 18 in Mund College Center. In recognition of the 20th anniversary of Popper's death, plenary sessions will reflect on Popper's many fields of inquiry, including his philosophical contributions to scientific method, ethics, and social science; the constitutional framework of an open society; and the 100-year crisis of liberalism. These events are free and open to the public.

The symposium features speakers from Poland, Russia, Australia, Germany, Austria, Italy, United Kingdom, Algeria, United States, Canada, Romania, and Turkey. It will begin with a presentation by Dr. Mark Notturno on Karl Popper and the Open Society on Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 8-9:30 p.m. in Phillips Dining Room. The talk will include memories of Karl Popper, discussion of the influence of his philosophy, and an evaluation of the concept of the Open Society 25 years after the Cold War.

The symposium continues with Notturno discussing his recent work on Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Phillips Dining Room. His work, "Hayek and Popper: On Rationality, Economism, and Democracy," concentrates on the differences between Karl Popper and Friedrich Hayek.

A WebEx-roundtable will connect symposium participants with Adam Chmielewski in Poland and Fred Eidlin in Russia. The scholars will discuss "25 Years after the Cold War: The Prospects of an Open Society in Eastern Europe and Russia." The roundtable will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 1-2:30 p.m. in Phillips Dining Room.

The first session of contributed papers on political philosophy will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 2:30-6 p.m. in Phillips Dining Room and Leedy Theater. Each paper is allocated 20 minutes for presentation, followed by 10 minutes of questions and discussion. Presenters include: Jeremy Shearmur (Australian National University), Harald Stelzer (Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany/University of Graz, Austria), William Berkson (Director, Jewish Institute for Youth and Family), Jack Birner (U. Trento, Italy), David Ramsay Steele (Publisher, Open Court), and tentatively Lakhdar Medbouh (Constantine U Algeria).

Judge John E. Jones III of the United States Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania will present a lecture, "The United States Constitution and the Values of an Open Society," on Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 7:30-9 p.m. in Leedy Theater.

The symposium continues Thursday with the second session of contributed papers on Popper and social practice will take place on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 8:30-11 a.m. in Phillips Dining Room. Presenters include: Brian Gladish (independent US), Stephanie Chitpin (U. Ottawa, Canada), Jon Guze (independent, U.S.), Sebastian Botic (Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism, Bucharest, Romania), and Andrew Massey (Middlebury College).

Peter Appelbaum, M.D., Ph.D. will present his recent research on the First World War Experience of German-Speaking Jews on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. in Phillips Dining Room. Dr. Appelbaum's research focuses on The Judenzählung (Jewish Census) of 1916 in the German Army.

The third session of contributed papers on the applications and implications of Critical Rationalism will take place on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 12:30-3 p.m. in Phillips Dining Room. Presenters include: Halil Rahman Açar (U. Yildirim Beyazit-Ankara, Turkey), John Sceski (Villanova University), Michael Duggan (Georgetown & NYU DC program), and Ray Percival (independent, UK).

Dr. Philip Benesch, LVC associate professor of politics is coordinating the symposium on Karl Popper and the Open Society with the Constitution Day lecture by Judge Jones. For more information, visit www.lvc.edu/popper.