Virtual Reading Groups

Our new series of Shakespeare Virtual Reading Groups will explore all of Shakespeare’s plays over the course of about 3 years. We’ll look at one play a month, with Liberty Fund’s Sarah Skwire leading one 90 minute discussion for… more

12:00-1:30 pm EST

with Sarah Skwire

The Taming of the Shrew and its story of an overbearing husband taming a shrewish wife may not have aged particularly well, but critics have long debated how seriously it is meant to be taken,… more

This 1959 essay sees James Buchanan criticise both older, utilitarian approaches to welfare economics and also what were then the newer Paretian and Samuelsonian approaches. In particular, Buchanan challenges what he sees as the… more

Thomas Jefferson wrote that in drafting the Declaration of Independence he meant to give expression to “the American mind.” What does this mean? What does the Declaration tell us about the American mind as it relates to the… more

This Virtual Reading Group traces the pursuit of liberty in African American religious thought from slavery, through emancipation and Reconstruction, to the mid century civil rights movement. This VRG aims to give an overview of… more

4:00-5:30 pm EST

with Sarah Skwire

Like Much Ado About Nothing and Othello, the plot of The Winter’s Tale turns on false accusations against a faithful woman. Why return so often to the question of fidelity and broken trust? Why… more

Harriet Martineau’s Illustrations of Political Economy is a 9-volume series that uses short, easily understandable stories to explain economic concepts concerning equality, wealth, labor, trade, and more. Martineau’s works,… more

One of the most famous figures in Western philosophy, Socrates captures our attention for many reasons, not least because of his trial and death. What do we know about Socrates and how do we know it? In this group, we’ll read… more

“Our society is so abnormal that the normal man never dreams of having the normal occupation of looking after his own property. When he chooses a trade, he chooses one of the ten thousand trades that involve looking after other… more

This Virtual Reading Group examines the importance of fame for the American Founders and explores how Cincinnatus, Cato, and Cicero served as role models for them. Readings primarily come from ancient Roman sources and the… more

Debt crises and stock market bubbles and crashes are not a 20th century phenomenon. In the 18th century, Scotsman John Law helped France overhaul her financial system. Then the burgeoning French stock market crashed in 1720,… more

Love, selflessness, sacrifice and the reevaluation of what truly matters in life. Welcome to our discussion of Leo Tolstoy’s timeless short story, Master and Man.

The cold month of February is an ideal time to discuss this… more

Shakespeare’s Othello has always been an interesting play, but its considerations of race, rank, and romance may have become more interesting as our cultural contexts have changed around it. How do we read Othello’s… more