On November 7 we will be hosting the “Freedom of Intellectual Navigation Conference” at the University of Chicago. The goal is to stop talking about freedom of expression and actually do it. The description and schedule are below, and if you would like to attend, here is the registration link.
The US Navy engages in Freedom of Navigation operations to prove the right to sail through international waters aggressive and hostile countries are trying to claim. This conference is a Freedom of Intellectual Navigation operation against the aggressive and hostile forces trying to limit intellectual exploration on campuses nationwide. The goal is to prove that the University of Chicago lives up to its commitments to free inquiry by bringing to campus distinguished scholars who have faced ridicule, cancellations, and physical attacks for their scholarship. The speakers are chosen specifically to address issues that are not being addressed on many campuses, thereby demonstrating the special intellectual atmosphere at the University of Chicago. Attendees will be electrified by the chance to openly discuss topics and consider perspectives they may never have been able to on campus.
Schedule, November 7, 2025
8:30a - arrive and mingle
8:50a - Introductory remarks by Harald Uhlig
9:00a - Bryan Caplan, “Don’t be a Feminist”
9:30a - Gad Saad, “Suicidal Empathy”
10:00a - break
10:15a - J. Michael Bailey, “Autogynephilia”
10:45a - Amy Wax, “Bourgeois Culture”
11:15a - break
11:30a - panel with morning speakers on “Are you who you say you are? Which wins, subjective or objective identification? Does lived experience trump external evidence?” with moderator Peggy Mason
12:30p - lunch break
2:00p - Anna Krylov, “Campus Protests”
2:30p - Sally Satel, “Medicine in the age of `Social Justice’”
3:00p - Garett Jones, “Immigration”
3:30p - break
4:00p - panel with afternoon speakers on “How do you talk to the person you hate? How can we have meaningful discussions among people with starkly opposing opinions?” with moderator Dorian Abbot