[Due to COVID-19, this event has been moved to a digital conferencing platform. For more information about participation, contact IRH at info@irh.wisc.edu.]
Dissertation Fellow Seminar:
Michael E. Promisel
IRH Dana-Allen Dissertation Fellow
Political Science, UW-Madison
The character of contemporary political leadership is routinely lamented and too often misunderstood. The central claim of this project is that the classical virtue of prudence is at the heart of political leadership—and, therefore, must be at the center of our contemporary conceptions. This presentation will provide a brief overview of prudence in Aristotle’s political thought and demonstrate its significance for classical political thinkers.
Michael E. Promisel is a Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Michael’s research draws on the traditions of ancient, medieval, and American political thought to reflect on timely questions concerning leadership, virtue, and religion and politics. His dissertation, Paragons of Prudence: Political Leadership in Classical Political Thought, proposes a framework for understanding the ethical character of political leadership and includes chapters on Aristotle, Cicero, Christine de Pizan, Thomas More, and Machiavelli.