First Annual Law and Politics Lecture
The University of Hull launched a new public lecture series on
February 3rd 2010: the Annual Law and Politics
Lecture. Each lecture in this series will provide an
opportunity for an internationally prominent scholar to
address academics, students and members of the public on a subject
at the heart of this exciting and important field of
interdisciplinary scholarship. The lecture is organised by the
University’s Department of Politics and International Studies and
the Law School.
The inaugural lecture of the series was given
by Professor Menachem Mautner (Daniel Rubinstein Professor of
Comparative Civil Law and Jurisprudence at Tel Aviv University).
Professor Mautner’s lecture was titled: “'From "Honor" to
"Dignity": How Should Liberal States Treat Non-Liberal Cultural
Groups?”. In his lecture, Professor Mautner proposed a new approach
to one of the central questions of contemporary liberal political
& legal theory. He argued that the only standards that a
liberal state can invoke in its relations with non-liberal groups
are universal standards - standards that can be viewed as
transcending any particular culture, and that can be applied not
only to non-liberal cultures, but to the culture of the mainstream
liberal society itself. The argument, illustrated by numerous
concrete examples, inspired a lively and fascinating discussion
with the audience of over 100 – a discussion which demonstrated the
value of an interdisciplinary perspective.
The next lecture in this series will take
place in Spring 2011. For inquiries, please contact Gerry Johnstone
(Professor of Law, University of Hull) mailto:J.G.Johnstone@hul.ac.uk
Pictures of Professor Mautner deleivering his lecture