Join us for the Lester B. Pearson Inaugural Lecture, marking the appointment of Professor Krzysztof Pelc to this highly prestigious position.

Professor Pelc will deliver his lecture on ‘Passions, Preferences, and the Politics of Self-Binding’.

Further information about the lecture:

We make plans and then sabotage them – and so do governments. For people, this inner clash takes familiar forms: passions like anger, lust, gluttony, or the pull of distraction thwart our long-term goals. Yet governments are just as prone to temptation. Leaders give in to political passions when they attempt to preserve power at a cost to future welfare – by printing money ahead of an election, imposing distortionary tariffs to please domestic lobbies, or stoking majority sentiment against minority groups. What can the study of politics teach us about managing these competing impulses? When are self-imposed constraints a source of greater freedom, and when do they become a form of domination? Tackling these questions can help us design institutions that balance prudence and passion – and perhaps teach us to do the same for ourselves.

More about Professor Krzysztof Pelc:

Krzysztof Pelc is the Lester B. Pearson Professor in International Relations in the Department of Politics and International Relations. Prior to Oxford, he taught for over a decade at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada. His research lies at the intersection of international political economy and public international law, focusing on how the design of global rules shapes cooperation between states. He has written widely on international adjudication, the design of escape clauses, how societies compensate workers left behind by globalization and technological change, as well as the intellectual history of trade. His most recent book is “Beyond Self-Interest: Why the Market Rewards Those Who Reject It” (Bloomsbury). His current work examines preference formation—how we come to want what we want, and the implications for individual and collective welfare.

The lecture will take place in South School, 17:30-18:30, followed by a drinks reception in North School, 18:30-19:30.