The Dorothy Garrett Martin Lecture in Values and Ethics
First established at DePauw University in 2014, The Dorothy Garrett Martin Lecture in Values is hosted annually by the Prindle Institute with generous support from the Delta Gamma Foundation. The lectureship is designed to establish a unique venue on campus for open and distinctively public discussion of difficult (and sometimes disagreeable) ethical issues. Martin Lectures at DePauw have featured renowned scholars and practitioners seeking to do moral good, and spanning diverse occupations and disciplines. Past lecturers have included educators, journalists, activists, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, and more.
THE 2026 MARTIN LECTURE
First Among Equals: Redeeming Equality as a Political Ideal
Teresa M. Bejan, Oriel College, University of Oxford
September 28, 7PM, Thompson Recital Hall, GCPA
We tend to take it for granted that all people are equal. But what does that actually mean, and what does it ask of us? Are we equal because we are fundamentally the same, or because our differences deserve the same respect? In this year’s Martin Lecture, political theorist Teresa Bejan traces how equality changed from a lofty abstraction into a practical demand in seventeenth-century England, when ordinary men and women in movements like the Levellers, Diggers, and Quakers insisted on standing shoulder to shoulder with elites. Drawing on her new book First Among Equals, Bejan argues that these early activists and the philosophers who answered them, including Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Mary Astell, can help us recover equality as a political ideal worth fighting for today.
TERESA M. BEJAN is Professor of Political Theory and Fellow of Oriel College at the University of Oxford. Her research explores questions of free speech, civility, tolerance, and equality through historical and contemporary lenses, with work spanning from ancient Athens to modern political thought.
Past Martin Lecturers
Courageous Conversations in Ethics
Our Courageous Conversations in Ethics event series creates a unique forum where challenging moral issues of our time are explored with intellectual rigor, emotional intelligence, and mutual respect. Rather than adversarial debates or partisan arguments, we foster an environment where diverse perspectives can illuminate different facets of complex ethical questions.
Each event brings together thought leaders, practitioners, and community members who hold differing–and sometimes opposing–viewpoints on critical moral issues. Our speakers engage in moderated discussions that move beyond surface-level disagreements to examine the underlying values, experiences, and reasoning that shape their positions.
Join us for our upcoming events where we tackle difficult topics with curiosity, compassion, and intellectual humility. While we may not always reach agreement, we believe that the process of engaging in thoughtful dialogue across differences makes us better equipped to address the ethical challenges of our time.
