Knapp Lecture: Who is Afraid of Moderation?

A line that people sometimes remember regarding moderation belongs to Barry Goldwater: “Extremism in the pursuit of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”

Although Goldwater’s skepticism toward moderation did not fare well in the 1964 presidential election, his words invite us to rethink the nature of moderation and examine who is afraid of this misunderstood virtue and why.

In this Knapp Lecture, Aurelian Craiutu, Arthur F. Bentley Professor of Political Science at Indiana University Bloomington, argues that moderation is a complex virtue with many ethical and institutional facets and a fascinating genealogy which is often neglected.

His lecture will address the following questions: What kind of virtue is political moderation? What does it mean to be a moderate voice in politics? What are the limits and benefits of moderation? Can moderation be a winning card in our hyper-polarized political world?