In partnership, Lighthouse Community Foundation & Civic Revival bring you an inaugural debate

The Clash of Principles: Individual Freedom or Societal Virtue?

Exploring the Tension Between Order and Liberty: Which Path Should Shape the Future of Western Civilization?

What is the foundation of a thriving society: unrestricted individual freedom or a legal system that enforces virtue? In this high-stakes debate, Dr. Scott Masson, a scholar of classical education, will argue for a system where virtue, informed by historical traditions, is upheld by law. On the opposing side, Bruce Pardy, a staunch defender of individual rights, will champion a classical liberal vision in which personal liberty and limited government intervention reign supreme. With the future of Western society at a crossroads, this debate will challenge attendees to reconsider the balance between freedom and virtue in the legal and cultural fabric of our civilization.

Moderated by Tanya Granic Allen. 

Doors 7pm, Debate Starts 7:30

Tickets

• Early Bird - $18 (Available until October 28, 11:55pm)
• General Admission - $24

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Speakers

Bruce Pardy 

Bruce Pardy is executive director of Rights Probe, a law and liberty thinktank, and professor of law at Queen’s University. Bruce is a lawyer, scholar, columnist, classical liberal, and outspoken critic of the illiberal managerial state. He has dug in at the front lines of the culture war inside the law, a slow-motion train wreck that threatens to crush the freedom and prosperity of Western civilization.
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Scott Masson

Dr. Scott Masson is an Associate Professor of English Literature at Tyndale University in Toronto, specializing in a wide range of subjects including Graeco-Roman literature, the Bible as literature, Shakespeare, Romanticism, and literary theory. He earned his PhD from the University of Durham in 2001 and previously studied in Germany, where he developed a passion for languages. His research focuses on the impact of modern anthropology on the humanities, with a particular interest in recovering Classical education. He founded Westminster Classical Christian Academy and has been instrumental in the revival of Classical education in Canada. Dr. Masson has also served as a pastor, public intellectual, and speaker, addressing topics related to Christian anthropology and human nature, and he is currently working with the Seattle based Discovery Institute, where he is developing courses in Humanities. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two children, who are deeply engaged in the classical education process.

Moderator

Tanya Granic Allen

Tanya Granic Allen is a Canadian commentator, social advocate, politician, and mother of five. She is the host of Counterpoint, a daily commentary program on The News Forum channel. As an international speaker, she is an advocate for public policy concerning family, children, and women’s rights, including working at the UN. She is also past-president of Parents As First Educators (PAFE), an Ontario-based parental rights advocacy group.

Tanya was a leadership candidate in the 2018 Ontario PC Party where she brought discussions to the forefront on issues such as Ontario’s sex education curriculum, the Green Energy contracts scam, and advocated for cancelling the carbon tax.

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