The Justice and Society Seminar brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds to discuss what we mean by justice and how a just society ought to deal with issues such as private conduct and public mores; the extent of entitlements; the breakdown of long-established hierarchies of race and gender; and whether the notion of justice has meaning beyond national boundaries.

The seminar enables participants to explore and test their values and beliefs in light of their professional and personal experiences. A structured dialogue is based on a volume of specially prepared readings of classic and contemporary writings, law cases, and works of literature, including Plato, John Stuart Mill, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Rawls, Isaiah Berlin, Herman Melville, and The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Discussions topics include: Law, Morality, and Justice; Autonomy and Justice; The Economy and Justice; Gender and Justice; Race and Justice; Criminal Justice and the Morality of Punishment; and International Justice.