At a time when a lot of the talk about diminished social mobility in America is just that -- talk, lip service, a wringing of hands rather than a springing into action -- this seminar represents a bold exception, worthy of applause and emulation.

Alexis de Tocqueville and Plato had such an influence on me that I minored in history and political science. In the seminar, I was encouraged to question everything and define what a good functioning society meant to me.