National Hellenic Museum hosts Stanford University scholar Josiah Ober

National Hellenic Museum hosts Stanford University scholar Josiah Ober 

WHAT:  A compelling conversation about the contemporary political and economic relevance of Ancient Greece as it relates to modern democracy.

WHO:    Josiah Ober, Stanford University Professor of Political Science and Classics

                  Ober works on historical institutionalism and political theory, focusing on the political thought and practice of the ancient Greek world and its contemporary relevance. He is the author of a number of books mostly published by Princeton University Press, including “Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens” (1989), “Political Dissent in Democratic Athens” (2008), “Democracy and Knowledge” (2008). His new book on “The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece” argues that Greece’s rise was not a miracle but rather the result of political breakthroughs and economic development driven by the extraordinary emergence of citizen-centered city-states that transformed Greece into a society that defeated the mighty Persian Empire. He will discuss how ancient Greek politics can help us transcend the democratic dilemmas that confront the world today.

                  Introductory Remarks by Dr. Jonathan Elmer, Marilynn Thoma Artistic Director of the Chicago Humanities Festival and English Professor at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Interviews with Josiah Ober and NHM President of Cultural Affairs, Connie Mourtoupalas, are available. 

WHEN:    Sunday, April 10, 2016

  2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

WHERE:     National Hellenic Museum

                      333 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60661

WHY:     This lecture is one of a series of events in support of The Greeks exhibition at The Field Museum. The rise and fall of Ancient Greece offers powerful lessons for modern society.Combining a history of Athens with contemporary theories of collective action and rational choice developed by economists and political scientists, Ober will examine Athenian democracy’s unique contribution to the ancient Greek city-state’s remarkable success.

Tickets available at https://www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/calendar/democracy-and-knowledge/

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