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theihs.org
Institute for Humane Studies
@theihs.org
300 followers 32 following 140 posts
Working to advance a deeper understanding of classical liberal ideas, and to promote civil discourse and open inquiry. theihs.org
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theihs.org
Freedom doesn’t endure by accident — or inertia.
IHS scholars keep liberty’s tradition alive in classrooms, courtrooms, and culture.

This #GivingTuesday, help freedom outlast the headlines.

www.theihs.org/donate/?utm_...
December 2, 2025 at 5:51 PM
theihs.org
Alicia Plemmons watched her mother lose a career to a state line.

She knew the failure wasn’t due to people, but design.
So she built a data lifeline that helps policymakers fix it.

Read the full story👇
www.theihs.org/blog/from-ha...
From Hair Braiding to Health Care: Alicia Plemmons and Arbitrary Licensing Rules
Why does it take longer to become a hair braider than a police officer? This question and others prompted Alicia to challenge licensing rules.
www.theihs.org
December 2, 2025 at 5:26 PM
theihs.org
Scholars are using AI to push scholarship farther, faster. But how do we do that well?

Join our Dec. 3 event with Cosmos Institute's Brendan McCord, @kvallier.bsky.social, and @senatorshoshana.bsky.social as we discuss the promise of AI in research.

Register👇
www.theihs.org/academic-pro...
December 2, 2025 at 5:11 PM
theihs.org
The Cosmos x IHS AI-Accelerated Scholarship program supports scholars who use AI to serve human wisdom, not replace it.
December 1, 2025 at 4:57 PM
theihs.org
Verlan Lewis thinks the real divide isn’t left and right—it’s how we think about belonging and truth.

His scholarship, supported by IHS, invites a more plural and self-critical politics.

🔗 Read the full story: theihs.org/blog/breakin...
Breaking the Politics Spectrum: Verlan Lewis on Freedom, Pluralism, and Narrative
Verlan Lewis urges students to treat politics as plural, with many issues, many trade-offs, and many opportunities for humility.
theihs.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:30 PM
theihs.org
As hybrid workers log nearly 90 fewer minutes on Fridays, IHS affiliate, Christos Makridis, examines how flexible schedules may undercut collaboration, reminding us that liberalism flourishes when freedom is paired with responsibility.

Read it on @yahoonews.com:
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Hybrid workers are putting in 90 fewer minutes of work on Fridays – and an overall shift toward custom schedules could be undercutting collaboration
Where, when and how Americans work has dramatically shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the routines of everyday life.
www.yahoo.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:55 PM
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Attending this year’s meeting of the Southern Economic Association (SEA)? Swing by the IHS booth to learn about our conference reception and upcoming opportunities for scholars.

Learn more about IHS here:
www.theihs.org?utm_source=b...
November 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
theihs.org
Jean Vilbert left a lifetime judgeship in Brazil with a few English words and the chance to ask forbidden questions about dignity.

Freedom, he learned, is worth the cost.

Read the full story👉 www.theihs.org/blog/jean-vi...
Jean Vilbert: The Young Judge Who Chose Dignity Over Security
What made Jean Vilbert a successful judge also made him sensitive to what he’d surrendered: the freedom to ask certain questions.
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November 19, 2025 at 5:15 PM
theihs.org
In rural Maine, support for a candidate’s populism doesn’t always translate into party loyalty. Nicholas Jacobs, an IHS affiliate, unpacks this dynamic in @theconversation.com with a reminder that liberalism thrives when individuals, not parties, lead.

Read it👇
theconversation.com/why-rural-ma...
Why rural Maine may back Democrat Graham Platner’s populism in the Senate campaign − but not his party
Whether Maine’s Graham Platner wins or loses, his campaign to knock off longtime GOP Sen. Susan Collins already points to a deeper question: Can Democrats do more than rent rural authenticity?
theconversation.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:46 PM
theihs.org
Scholars are using AI to turn ideas into impact—fast.
But how do we do that well?

Join our Dec. 3 online event with Brendan McCord, @kvallier.bsky.social, and @senatorshoshana.bsky.social as we discuss the promise of AI in research.

Register👉 www.theihs.org/academic-pro...
November 18, 2025 at 5:31 PM
theihs.org
Classical liberal scholars wrestle with foreign policy questions: When does intervention fail? How do trade and diplomacy create peace? What role does deterrence play? There are no easy answers, just ongoing exploration of these tensions.

Our new essay: www.theihs.org/blog/the-lib...
The Liberal Vision for Foreign Policy: Peaceful Solutions
The liberal vision for foreign policy prioritizes diplomacy, free trade, and cultural exchange, but maintains strength to resist aggression.
www.theihs.org
November 17, 2025 at 4:58 PM
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Discover how freedom takes shape when one scholar says "yes" to civil society.

Read our latest on Daniel J. Smith's journey from Michigan to academic firestorms, and why supporting honest inquiry still matters.

Read it now: www.theihs.org/blog/answers...
Answers Across the Street: How Daniel J. Smith Found and Fought for Freedom
When asked what keeps him doing this after so many controversies, Dan answered, "Because we have to make progress on these vexing issues.”
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November 17, 2025 at 4:27 PM
theihs.org
What does it take to create more abundance—in health, housing, energy, and beyond?

IHS is inviting proposals for our Blueprints for Abundance project, supported by the
@templetonfdn.bsky.social.🧵
November 14, 2025 at 6:24 PM
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Host mentorships, reading groups, lectures & more on liberty + the American experiment. Apply for a grant today (up to $20K)!
Deadline: Saturday, Nov 15. Apply below 👇
www.theihs.org/funding-oppo...
America’s 250th Anniversary Grant for Undergraduate Programming
IHS offers funding for faculty to engage undergrads in programming with the themes of liberty, self-governance, and the American experiment.
www.theihs.org
November 13, 2025 at 1:58 PM
theihs.org
Will you be at this year’s Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society annual meeting? Stop by our booth to learn more about our grants, events, and other opportunities for scholars.

Learn more about IHS here: www.theihs.org?utm_source=b...
November 10, 2025 at 4:25 PM
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In our latest “Why Liberalism” piece with Persuasion, lefebvrealex.bsky.social describes liberalism as “the mob boss” of modern life—not because it is perfect, but because it quietly maintains peace. Read it below👇
November 7, 2025 at 1:49 PM
theihs.org
Join us online to present your research and get feedback from faculty in your field. The event is free to attend, and students who attend all sessions will receive a $100 honorarium.

This Graduate Conference is on December 5–6, so apply today to attend👇
November 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM
theihs.org
Global tensions often come down to unequal resources and distorted perceptions, but liberalism reminds us that cooperation, not coercion, builds peace.

Check out the latest from IHS Scholar Kaleb Demerew in @theconversation.com.

🔗: theconversation.com/why-cant-eve...
Why can’t every country get along with each other? It comes down to resources, inequality and perception
Even countries with similar values and goals can end up in conflict with each other due to forces they cannot fully control.
theconversation.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:37 PM
theihs.org
Academia stands at a crossroads between automation and insight.

The AI-Accelerated Scholarship Program helps scholars use AI in their work—to amplify understanding, not replace it.

Applications are open👇
www.theihs.org/ai-accelerat...
AI Accelerated Scholarship - Apply Now!
Up to 5K in funding to purchase AI research tools.
www.theihs.org
November 4, 2025 at 8:41 PM
theihs.org
Can words heal a divided democracy? Bill Galston thinks so. In our recent IHS & @ismapolicy.bsky.social event, he explained how speech can restore trust and tame our darker passions.
October 28, 2025 at 8:29 PM
theihs.org
When Lauren Hall was twenty, she was supposed to teach kids about watersheds.

But when she arrived, she noticed bigger issues. The sink had maggots. The windows were shot out. The kids were navigating violence and lead exposure.🧵
October 24, 2025 at 4:07 PM
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At the last IHS & ISMA salon, Bill Galston reminded us that freedom isn’t kept alive by institutions alone. It also depends on leaders who use words to heal, not divide.

Open societies thrive on trust, honest dialogue, and the moral imagination to see one another as partners in freedom.
October 21, 2025 at 5:11 PM
theihs.org
Freedom depends on humility—the recognition that no one knows enough to rule others’ choices.

Markets and open speech both flourish when people are free to test, fail, and learn.

Read more → www.theihs.org/blog/intelle...
Intellectual Humility, the Knowledge Problem, and the Fatal Conceit
Intellectual humility about the limits of human knowledge underpins classical liberals' support for free markets and defense of free speech.
www.theihs.org
October 20, 2025 at 7:51 PM
theihs.org
After the revolution, a black-and-white TV flickered with something radically new.

For a young Paula Ganga, it was her first glimpse of freedom—an awakening that shaped her life’s work: bringing foundational ideas to life.
October 14, 2025 at 1:33 PM
theihs.org
100 scholars. Cutting-edge AI tools. One purpose: advancing human scholarship in the age of machines.

Launching today: The Cosmos x IHS AI-Accelerated Scholarship Program.

Priority deadline: Dec. 1
👉 Apply here: www.theihs.org/ai-accelerat...
AI Accelerated Scholarship
www.theihs.org
October 13, 2025 at 2:28 PM