Nussbaum to discuss world issues
Philosopher to speak at Convocation on importance of liberal arts education
By Lauren Hanvey
Staff Reporter

Philosopher, legal ethicist, professor, writer and editor — these are only a few of the experiences Martha Nussbaum will be drawing from as she speaks at the 41st Annual Honors Convocation 11 a.m. today in Ed Landreth Hall Auditorium.

Each year the Honors Program selects a notable scholar to give an address at the convocation ceremony, said Kathryne McDorman, director of the Honors Program.

“She’s probably one of the best known, what we call, public intellectuals,” McDorman said.

Nussbaum said she will begin her speech with the Greek story of Troy to illustrate that she thinks America, like ancient Greece, is now at risk of being not only a victim of devastation, as with Sept. 11, but also of causing devastation in other countries.

“In this talk I will first confront a problem about the imagination, the one that is mentioned in my example from Greek tragedy,” she said. “Then I shall talk about the role of the idea of liberal arts education ... in producing the sort of citizen who is well placed to solve this problem as well as it may be solved.”

The Honors Program has had Nussbaum scheduled long before our country’s current situation, McDorman said. This is a good time for Nussbaum to speak at TCU because she is known for having compelling thoughts on major world events, she said. However,

Nussbaum was first asked to speak because her beliefs are closely related to TCU’s mission, she said.

“We’re delighted to have her,” McDorman said. “When you consider our mission statement, she has written on just about everything in it.”

According to her curriculum resume, Nussbaum has written 19 books and has had more than 200 articles published. The resume lists 22 honorary degrees from universities around the world, as well as teaching credentials at Harvard University, Brown University and Oxford University.

Linda Hughes, Addie Levy Professor of Literature, said she had nominated Nussbaum to speak at Honors Convocation two or three times. Hughes said she was introduced to Nussbaum through a radio interview at least a decade ago and that she has admired her since then.

“She advocates practices connecting academic inquiry and social activism,” she said.
Hughes said Nussbaum cannot be fully encapsulated by any title or description because her work is so far-reaching, but she agrees that Nussbaum is a good representation of TCU’s mission statement.

“Martha Nussbaum ... exemplifies excellence in scholarship, a passionate life of the mind and searching inquiry into what it means to be an ethical leader and global citizen,” Hughes said.

Students, faculty and community members are welcome at the convocation ceremony.

l.e.hanvey@tcu.edu