America at 250: Stoic Virtue and the Future of the American Experiment

On October 24, 2026, the Philadelphia Stoa will host an in-person public conference bringing together leading historians, philosophers, legal scholars, and civic leaders to explore virtue, citizenship, and self-government in the American experiment.

Drawing on Stoic philosophy, the U.S. Constitution, and the ideas that shaped the nation’s founding, speakers will explore how reason, character, self-command, and responsibility can help sustain democracy in an age of technological disruption, institutional distrust, and civic fragmentation.

A healthy society depends not only on good laws and institutions, but also on the character and judgment of its citizens. Together, we will consider what self-government requires of each of us and how we can strengthen the virtues, institutions, and communities that make it possible.

The conference is intended to spur future discussion, research, and collaboration around these questions well beyond the event itself.

Featured Speakers

• Dr. Sophia Rosenfeld — Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History, University…