Former Leader of the Opposition in Canada Prof. Michael Ignatieff to give special lecture on Rationality in Politics
Second annual lecture in memory of Prof. Edna Ullmann-Margalit
Prof. Michael Ignatieff (Photo: Dave Chan)
Prof. Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Opposition in Canada from 2008 to 2011 and Liberal Party candidate for prime minister in the last elections, will give a special lecture titled ''Rationality in Politics'' at the Center for the Study of Rationality at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The lecture will take place on January 4 at 10 .m. in Eilat Hall, Feldman Building, the Edmond J. Safra campus.
This is the second annual lecture in memory of Prof. Edna Ullmann-Margalit, a founder and former director of the Center for the Study of Rationality and former chairman of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel who passed away on Oct. 16, 2010. Prof. Ullmann-Margalit was a central figure in Israel’s academic and public life.
According to Prof. Ignatieff, who teaches at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, ''In the last twenty years cognitive psychologists, behavioral economists, political scientists and linguists have all transformed common understanding of what rationality means in politics. This lecture is an opportunity to examine this work and apply it to my own experience in two salient areas: electoral choice by voters and political judgment by politicians.''
Prof. Ignatieff will be introduced by Prof. Eyal Winter, head of the Center for the Study of Rationality. Prof. Winter commented that ''Prof. Ignatieff, who was a candidate to lead the Canadian government, will examine the attributes necessary for a politician to execute the policies he supports, what factors influence the voters to support a political leader, and how rationality and emotions function together in the world of politics.''
