This past month, William Saunders, Director of the M.A. in Human Rights Program, taught at the Free Society Seminar. The seminar was founded in 2001 by Catholic intellectual Michael Novak with the aim of creating a dialogue with students in countries formerly in the Soviet Union about the various political, economic, and moral-cultural elements essential to human flourishing in a free society. It takes place in the beautiful town of Spišská, Slovakia in the shadow of the ruined Spiš Castle.
“It was great to teach in the Free Society again, particularly as this is its 20th anniversary,” Professor Saunders shared, “Michael Novak started this seminar for American and Central European graduate students to consider the challenges of building a free society following the fall of the Soviet empire. This year we reflected on the human rights challenges we face today.” Students engaged with the thought of Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI as well as ideas in The Federalist Papers, Alexis de Tocqueville, and others.
