October 07

Harry V. Jaffa was a leading figure in modern American political thought and a student of Leo Strauss. He taught at Claremont McKenna College and authored influential works such as "Crisis of the House Divided," examining Abraham Lincoln's presidency. Jaffa argued for the centrality of natural rights in the American founding and engaged in public debates on constitutional interpretation. His scholarship bridged history, philosophy, and political science, shaping conservative thought in the 20th century. Jaffa remained active in academic circles until his death in 2015.

Maria Szyszkowska is a Polish academic, philosopher and politician born in 1937. She earned her doctorate in law and became a professor at the University of Warsaw, specializing in philosophy of law and human rights. Szyszkowska served in the Polish Senate from 1993 to 1997 and again from 2001 to 2005, where she championed women's rights, minority protections and environmental causes. She has published numerous works on ethics, international law and civil liberties, and founded the Center for Civil Liberties in Poland. A vocal advocate for peace and European integration, she ran for president in 2005 on a social democratic platform. Szyszkowska continues to lecture and write, influencing contemporary debates on justice and human rights.