Norton Lectures

The David Norton Memorial Lectures honor the late UD Philosophy professor. The Norton Lecture presents contemporary work by leading figures in philosophy in a manner accessible to the general University of Delaware community. Lectures are free and open to the public.

The lectures are supported by the David Norton Memorial Fund honoring the late UD Philosophy professor, the Class of 1955 Ethics Endowment Fund, the Department of Philosophy, and the Makiguchi Foundation.                    

More information: 302-831-2359

​Time:   3:30 pm

Location:  Gore Hall Room 116

Speaker:   Jeremy Waldron, New York University

Title of Talk:  "Philosophical Foundations of Migration Law"

Abstract:    Immigration has become a fierce and ubiquitous topic of debate as governments determine on what basis to permit non-citizens into their respective countries. Often economic and cultural interests are considered to determine immigration policy, but are we entitled to pursue and protect our interests in this way?  This lecture will consider the philosophical background to migration policy, and the assumptions about us humans, our interests, our movement, and our settlements that have to be made when such policies are formulated.  Are migration restrictions an artifact of the state?  Or would human communities be entitled to drive strangers away, even if there were no political institutions?  Above all, can we make sense of migration restrictions against a background assumption that, in some sense, we humans own the world in common?