About The Mill Series
History
Named for John Stuart Mill, The Mill Series is an annual set of lectures and public conversations held at Lafayette College. The Mill Series was founded in February 2017 by Abdul Manan, Class of 2018, and Brandon Van Dyck, Assistant Professor of Government and Law.
Mission
The Mill Series advocates the free exchange of honest ideas but is otherwise non-partisan and apolitical. We seek to promote greater viewpoint diversity at Lafayette College, believing that genuine and unfettered dialogue between political and ideological opponents is necessary for the pursuit of truth and the intellectual and characterological development of students. Click here to read Brandon’s blog post publicizing The Mill Series on the Heterodox Academy website.
Trends
Given recent trends in academia, we believe that our mission is best served, at present, by increasing student exposure to conservative, libertarian and religious perspectives, and to critiques of various strains of left-wing thought that have become pervasive in the modern academy, particularly in the humanities.
Design
Our speakers are reputable scholars, opinion makers with large audiences, or leaders with large followings. They come to present and discuss viewpoints that (1) are rarely defended, authentically, in university classrooms and at campus events; (2) can be reasonably defended, in our estimation; and (3) are, or may become, socially widespread or politically influential. We encourage attendees to consider our speakers’ claims with careful, open minds, to assess them critically and rigorously, and to discuss and incorporate them respectfully and thoughtfully.
Past Events (or see our YouTube channel)
Donate
Why Donate to The Mill Series?
Your generous, tax-deductible contribution allows us to book high-quality, in-demand speakers, to publicize our events broadly, and to hire professional videographers so that we can share our content online, reach more people, and potentially inspire similar initiatives on other campuses. Fundamentally, your support helps to make Lafayette College more intellectually diverse and oriented toward the pursuit of truth, and to make Lafayette students tougher, wiser, and more rational, intellectually rigorous, open-minded and civil.
How To Donate
The Mill Series is an independent public charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Although The Mill Series’ chartered purpose is to advance the educational mission of Lafayette College, it is a separate legal entity, and thus, donations to The Mill Series are not donations to Lafayette College or to any of its departments or organizations. To donate to The Mill Series, you can make an online payment with your credit or debit card (click on the “Donate” button below), or you can write a check to “The Mill Series” and mail it to The Mill Series, PO Box 1269, Easton PA 18044. All donors will receive a receipt from The Mill Series with the date and amount of their contribution and the name and Tax Identification Number of The Mill Series. An independent accounting service will monitor and review all monetary transactions involving The Mill Series.
