One of the significant intellectual shifts heralded by the Enlightenment concerned attitudes to tolerance and religion.

Until the seventeenth century, being intolerant of other religions was considered a virtue. But in 1640, parliament abolished the Court of the King Star Chamber, which had previously silenced the voices of political opponents and religious dissenters, allowing the likes of poet and polemicist John Milton, to argue openly for the ‘spiritual liberty’ to follow one’s conscience. In his 1659 essay, A Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes, he wrote that ‘no man ought to be punished or molested by any outward force on earth whatsoever’ because of their ‘belief or practice in religion according to […] conscientious persuasion’.

Milton gave voice to the modern ideal of tolerance, even for those who hold views with which we strongly disagree – a principled philosophical opposition to the power of governments to determine what private religious groups and individuals could believe and think.

Now, more than three centuries later, policing the realm of the conscience is back in fashion. For example, one reaction to the rise of Islamic extremism has been a hardening of the public mood against the ‘special pleading’ of faith groups, whether relating to Halal meat or the injunctions that cartoonists should not depict the Prophet Muhammad. Meanwhile, contemporary equality legislation has led to demands to circumscribe religious groups’ rights, such as those who have been prosecuted for discriminatory actions relating to their views on homosexuality. Conversely, many religious people cite theological hurt to demand censorship. And of course, there are constant contemporary rows about the validity of faith schools. Continue reading …

In eighteenth century France the Salons of the Enlightenment, created and organised by aristocratic ladies, known as Salonières, became a new public space where you could hear the ideas of the great thinkers of the time, debate their meaning and, of course, have dinner and some entertainment. This ‘Sunday Short’ at The Academy will explore the role of Salonières with particular reference to the model Salon of Madame Geoffrin (pictured left). A must for all involved with organising today’s Salons – the Zurich Salon Dublin Salon Manchester Salon Liverpool Salon and The Brighton Salon

Speaker: Professor Dennis Hayes

Dennis is Professor of Education at the University of Derby. He is the founder and director of the campaign group Academics For Academic Freedom (AFAF) and is an organiser of the East Midlands Salon. Dennis is known for his educational writing and journalism and is a member of the editorial board of the Times Higher Education magazine. In February 2014 he became the first education columnist for the on-line magazine The Conversation.

Date and Time: Sunday 18 July 2015 from 14.30 – 15.30

Venue: Wyboston Lakes