Lecture Series Kicks Off with Aug. 26 Keynote on Hayek’s Enduring Relevance — And How His Critique of Socialism Can Be Used to Understand Current Political Trends
— Northwood University will launch its 2025 Freedom Seminar on Tuesday, Aug. 26, with a keynote address by Professor Daniel J. Smith, a Northwood alumnus and Director of the Political Economy Research Institute at Middle Tennessee State University. Smith will explore the continuing relevance of Nobel laureate F.A. Hayek’s critique of socialism and its application to today’s political trends.
The Freedom Seminar is Northwood’s annual series of public lectures led by distinguished experts in business, government, and academia. Held Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. throughout the fall semester, the program will examine the enduring principles and real-world applications of free enterprise through the lens of history, economics, and contemporary policy.
“This year, we’re surveying two starkly different paths that societies have taken over the past century — the road to serfdom and the road to freedom,” said Northwood Economics Chair Dr. Dale Matcheck. “The evidence is overwhelming: socialism’s promises have consistently produced misery and oppression, while free enterprise has delivered prosperity, innovation, and dignity for millions.”
This year’s Freedom Seminar will feature nationally recognized thought leaders, including:
- Sept. 16 – John Chisholm, serial tech entrepreneur and investor, on approaches to regulating artificial intelligence and how different frameworks can affect safety, innovation, and quality of life.
- Sept. 30 – Lawrence W. Reed, President Emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education, on how lessons learned from the decline of Ancient Rome can be applied to the challenges facing America today.
- Nov. 6 — Wilfred M. McClay, Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College and award-winning author, on America’s 250-year-old experiment in individual liberty and self-government.
- Dec. 2 – Art Carden, Samford University economics professor and coauthor of Northwood’s fall Omniquest selection, Leave Me Alone and I’ll Make You Rich, on how the “Bourgeois Deal” transformed living standards and human character.
On Sept. 23, Northwood President Dr. Kent MacDonald will present a lecture entitled, “Stewards of Liberty: The Northwood Idea through the Lens of Hayek’s Road to Serfdom and Rockefeller’s Faith in the Individual.”
Additional presentations will spotlight Argentine President Javier Milei’s reforms, West Germany’s postwar “economic miracle,” the Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher revolutions, and the entrepreneurs who shaped America.
“The Freedom Seminar isn’t just an academic exercise — it’s a conversation about the choices that shape our future, and this year, it will provide insight into the significant ideas and people who helped pave a prosperous future — and those who thwarted progress,” stated Dr. Alexander Tokarev, Associate Professor of Economics and Freedom Seminar Academic Lead. “By studying history’s turning points and today’s policy debates, we equip our students and community to defend and advance free-enterprise principles that drive prosperity.”
The annual Freedom Seminar is a showcase event for The Northwood Idea, Northwood’s institutional philosophy that recognizes the importance of personal freedom, individual responsibility, earned success, ethical leadership, personal property, the rule of law, and free enterprise.
All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend Freedom Seminar lectures, and members of the public are invited to join us at no cost.
“The Northwood University Freedom Seminar reflects our deep and enduring commitment to exploring the ideas that shape free societies and serve as the foundation of human progress,” stated Provost and Academic Vice President Kristin Stehouwer. “The generous support of those who believe in our mission and ongoing When We Are Free campaign strengthens our ability to offer programs that challenge students and other attendees to think critically and advance the principles that make free societies flourish.”
The entire schedule of Freedom Seminar lectures — along with detailed descriptions of speakers and topics — is online at www.northwood.edu/freedom-seminar. Visit https://campaign.northwood.edu/ to learn more about the When We Are Free campaign.
