Contributor(s): Dr Chiara Cordelli | Many governmental functions today—from the management of prisons and welfare offices to warfare and financial regulation—are outsourced to private entities. Education and health care are funded in part through private philanthropy rather than taxation. Can a privatised government rule legitimately?

The Privatized State argues that it cannot. In this new book, Chiara Cordelli argues that privatisation constitutes a regression to a precivil condition—what philosophers centuries ago called “a state of nature.” Chiara is going to discuss her book and issues such as privatisation in the democratic state , role of private actors and a new way of administering public affairs with LSE academic Kate Vredenburgh.

Meet our speaker and chair

Chiara Cordelli (@chiaracordelli) is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. She is the co-editor of Philanthropy in Democratic Societies.

Kate Vredenburgh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method at LSE.

Stephan Chambers will provide a brief welcome speech. Stephan is the inaugural director of the Marshall Institute at LSE. He is also Professor in Practice at the Department of Management at LSE and Course Director for the new Executive Masters in Social Business and Entrepreneurship.

More about this event

The Marshall Institute (@LSEMarshall) works to improve the impact and effectiveness of private action for public benefit through research, teaching and convening.

You can order the book, The Privatized State, (UK delivery only) from our official LSE Events independent book shop, Pages of Hackney.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEPrivatizedState