A looming U.S. presidential election is igniting heated discussions among political leaders and pundits. Sometimes, however, emotionally charged dialogues and partisan politics create an air of cynicism among American citizens.

Starting in October, the University of Houston’s Honors College will host the lecture series “Conservatism and Progressivism in America.” Speakers will include scholars and public intellectuals addressing the principles, history and future of both left and right wing movements.

“The aim of this lecture series is to deepen and enrich contemporary political discourse by taking an intellectual, historical and philosophical approach to our political debates,” said Jeffrey Church, assistant professor of political science.

Sponsored by the Honors College’s Phronesis Politics and Ethics program, “Conservatism and Progressivism in America” lectures will launch on Oct. 7 with Thomas A. Spragens’ “American Liberalism: Recent Problems and Future Challenges.”

“The Phronesis faculty and students take the long view of ethical and political questions,” said William Monroe, dean of the Honors College.  “The program develops an intellectual and historical context that reduces our dependence on media and sound bites. It’s education for democracy at its best.”

A schedule of lectures and speakers is as follows:

• 5:30 p.m., October 7 – Thomas A. Spragens, professor of political science at Duke University and author of “Getting the Left Right: the Transformation, Decline, and Reformation of American Liberalism”

• 5:30 p.m., October 25 – Patrick Deneen, associate professor of government at Georgetown University and author of “Democratic Faith”

• (Time to be announced) February 10 – William Galston, political theorist, former policy adviser to President Bill Clinton and writer for “The New Republic”

All lectures will be presented in the Honors College Commons (second floor of UH’s M.D. Anderson Library).

For more details on “Conservatism and Progressivism in America,” contact Church at jchurch@uh.edu or 713-743-3914.

The Honors College at UH is a hub of excellence that serves the needs of gifted undergraduates in more than 100 fields of study and reflects the rich diversity of the University of Houston in its courses, faculty, and students. For more than 50 years, the Honors College has offered students the best of both worlds: the advantages of a small college together with the comprehensive resources and rich diversity of a large university. For more information about the Honors College, visit http://TheHonorsCollege.com.