New applications are closed.  Accepted applicants may still access their application page.  

Co-sponsored by Liberty Fund, Inc., this is an intellectually demanding and stimulating weekend colloquium that explores the foundations of liberty in a series of graduate-level, text-based, guided Socratic discussions.

  • This colloquium will consist of 2 lecture sessions and 5 guided Socratic discussion sessions.
  • The discussion sessions are text-based and so selected participants are required to prepare appropriately and participate fully in all sessions.
  • Readings will be provided to all accepted participants.
  • This colloquium is for Acton Alumni who are junior scholars, professionals, graduate students likely to assume leadership roles in academia and business, think-tanks, seminaries, or media.

Virtue and Economic Thinking

This colloquium on Virtue and Economic Thinking explores the degree to which the conditions and features of market economies are attributable to virtue in its classical and modern formulations. This is an intriguing problem because, while critics of the market often argue that the market does, indeed, have adverse effects on character, advocates of the market often believe that it actually enhances character.