Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.

Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder

What is the role of education in a democracy? How might liberal education equip the United States for the next 250 years of its “extraordinary experiment in social life”?

“Concern Filled with Hope”: Todd Breyfogle and Shilo Brooks on Liberal Education and Self-Government

Screen capture of two men seated on a stage in front of an Aspen Institute background. Two glasses and a water carafe sit on a low white table between them. The heads of some audience members can be seen in the foreground. The man on the left is light haired, bearded, and wearing black pants, a salmon-colored dress shirt, and a black jacket. The man on the left is dark-haired, clean shaven, and wearing a grey suit and a white dress shirt.

On July 8, Todd Breyfogle (Senior Advisor for Humanistic Studies and Practices, Aspen Institute; Aspen-Kern Program for Leadership and Character in Higher Education) sat down with Shilo Brooks (President & CEO, the George W. Bush Presidential Foundation; Professor of the Practice, Southern Methodist University Department of Political Science) for “America at 250: Liberal Education, Self-Government, and the Future of the Republic.” at Paepcke Auditorium on the Institute’s Aspen, Colorado campus. The event was part of Aspen Community Programs‘ McCloskey Speaker Series.

The two discuss the communal and personal benefits of continued engagement with the United States’ founding documents; the connection between character and democracy; expanding opportunities for civic education; and reasons for optimism about the future of the republic. Watch the full conversation below: