Prof. James A. Robinson, a Nobel Prize-winning economist and political scientist, is set to deliver the 2025 Nora and Edward Ryerson Lecture at the University of Chicago. The lecture will take place on April 23 at 5 p.m. in the Rubenstein Forum's Friedman Hall. This event, a UChicago tradition since 1972, features faculty members who have made significant research contributions and is open to the public with a webcast available on UChicago digital channels.
Robinson expressed his honor in presenting this year's lecture: “I am really honored and humbled to present this year’s Ryerson Lecture,” said Robinson, who holds multiple professorships at UChicago. He reflected on the importance of past lectures and their impact on addressing major social and scientific questions.
In October 2024, Robinson was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on global inequality and institutional impacts on prosperity. As director of UChicago's Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, he conducts fieldwork worldwide and has co-authored best-selling books such as "Why Nations Fail" (2012) and "The Narrow Corridor" (2019).
His upcoming lecture titled “The Political Impact of Ideas: Evidence from England” will explore political change in 17th-century England through digitized political debates and philosophical works. Robinson highlights events like the Glorious Revolution of 1688: “Clearly this was a political conflict which led to policy changes... but what role did ideas about the nature of political legitimacy play in this contest?” He questions John Locke’s influence during that period.
The Ryerson Lectures were established by a bequest from Nora and Edward Ryerson, former chair of UChicago’s Board of Trustees. Previous lecturers include philosopher Jonathan Lear, cosmologist Wendy Freedman, political scientist Cathy Cohen, paleontologist Neil Shubin, and Nobel-winning economist Richard Thaler.