Why does Arendt strongly insist on the neat distinction between the social and the political, the power and the violence? How does she understand the meaning of the American Revolution, and why she overlooks the Haiti Revolution, the so-called Black Jacobin Revolution that took place in the late 18th century? Richard J. Bernstein,  Vera List Professor of Philosophy in the Philosophy Department at the New School for Social Research, will share his critical view about Arendt's thought-provoking ideas. 

Does the debate of human rights merely concern moral foundation or human dignity? How to reconceive and redefine the idea of human rights from a postcolonial perspective?  Samuel Moyn, Henry R. Luce Professor of Jurisprudence at Yale Law School, will show us how human rights connect to global economic fairness and inequality.

Why should we value philosophy over tragedies, when the latter seems more realistic and powerful? Can we derive a new kind of philosophy from tragedies? Simon Critchley, the Hans Jonas Professor of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research, will argue for the role and significance of tragedy that is severely understated for centuries. 

Is Hegel a liberal? How to reconcile necessity and contingency through the historical development of self-determination? Gregory S. Moss, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, will show us how Hegel thinks about politics.