Clinton, N.Y. — Hamilton College will present a free lecture by George Washington University Associate Professor of American Studies and Political Science Elisabeth Anker on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 4 p.m. Titled “Ugly Freedoms,” the lecture is open to the public and will take place on the Hamilton College campus in the Kirner-Johnson Building, room 127.
Anker is the author of Orgies of Feeling: Melodrama and the Politics of Freedom (Duke, 2014) and Ugly Freedoms (Duke, 2022). She is co-editor of the political theory journal Theory & Event and a regular news commentator on international TV.
Anker’s lecture addresses freedom, the highest ideal in American politics. Throughout American history, according to Anker, freedom has supported emancipation, personal rights, and individual liberty, but it has also supported racism, environmental destruction, and misogyny. These “ugly freedoms” legitimate the right to harm and subjugate others. Anker’s talk will examine the ugliness of freedom, from the history of slavery to the January 6 insurrection. It will also highlight visions of freedom that emphasize the flourishing of all people, not just a privileged few.
