This week, Tara Smith, professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Judicial Review in an Objective Legal System, will give two public talks in the UK.

On July 27, 2016, Dr. Smith will give a free public talk at the University of Buckingham in Buckingham, UK:

Classical Rights vs. Welfare Rights

In political philosophy, the concept of rights is vigorously debated. Most political theorists accept the concept of human rights, but differ in their understanding of what is to be considered a legitimate right. A classical liberal approach is to understand rights as basic individual guarantees against arbitrary actions from a political majority. But how are we to decide what justifies a moral right? Should basic welfare, so-called positive rights, be considered a right in the same way as freedom of speech? And is there any conflict in the different visions of moral rights? How can we resolve the many contemporary disputes about rights within the field of political theory?

Read more about how to attend here.

The next day, July 28, 2016, she will give a talk at the Institute of Economic Affairs in London, UK:

The Pursuit of Happiness — and Tools for Attaining It

Historically, Americans have been known for fiercely defending the idea that every man has a birthright to the pursuit of happiness. An individual’s success in actually attaining happiness, however, depends largely on what he does with that right.

While numerous goods can contribute to a happy life, this lecture examines a handful — three factors whose vital significance is not conventionally recognized and that are, in fact, routinely vilified.

The talk opens by probing what happiness is, focusing on features that particularly illuminate our means of acquiring it. It then turns to three preconditions of happiness that are usually neglected: pride; productiveness (including the place of money and of greed) and unabashed selfishness.

If you would like to attend, then you must RSVP here.