Common law: a better foundation for Liberalism

John Hasnas (Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business), Bryan Cheang (Executive Director of STICERD Hayek Programme)

Tuesday 09 December 2025 18:30 - 20:00

This event is both online and in person

Hong Kong Theatre, CLM 01, Ground Floor, Clement House, LSE, 99 Aldwych, London WC2B 4JF

Many of our seminars and public events this year will continue as in person or as hybrid (online and in person) events. Please check our website listings and Twitter feed @STICERD_LSE for updates.

Unless otherwise specified, in-person seminars are open to the public. Please ensure you have informed the event contact as early as possible.

Those unable to join the seminars in-person are welcome to participate via zoom if the event is hybrid.

About this event

In conventional political philosophy, law is understood as consciously created rules that are a necessary mechanism for regulating the excesses of the free market. Although coercive in nature, law is seen as a necessary defence against anarchy. But is the situation that simple?

In his examination of the purpose and functioning of the legal system, John Hasnas challenges this false dichotomy, presenting a new theory of liberalism that demonstrates that the common law can serve as an effective alternative to traditional politically created legislation.

Meet our speaker and chair
John Hasnas is a professor of law (by courtesy) at Georgetown University Law Center, a professor of business at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, and the Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for the Study of Markets and Ethics.

Bryan Cheang is the Director of the LSE Hayek Program and STICERD Fellow.

Find out more.

For further information please contact Lubala Chibwe, by email: l.chibwe@lse.ac.uk.

This event will take place in Hong Kong Theatre, CLM 01, Ground Floor, Clement House, LSE, 99 Aldwych, London WC2B 4JF.

The building is labelled CLM on the map.