Lunchtime Talk: Jessica Soester
Lunchtime Talk: "Freedom and the Free Press: The Philosophic and Journalistic Works of Karl Marx"
Lecture: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 1:00pm
Join us for brownbag lunch reception before the lecture at 12:30pm!
Abstract
Just as we cannot understand Dewey’s philosophy without his work as an educator, we cannot understand Marx’s philosophy without his journalism. In this talk, Soester argues that Marx’s journalism is essential to understanding his philosophy, particularly his concept of freedom, and begins the task of integrating the two. Moving from local and regional concerns in the Rhineland, through transnational concerns in exile across Europe, to global reporting from London, Soester traces his expanding engagement with political economy and how a free society might be brought about. These works do more than inform his philosophy: they illustrate how his method works. Through journalism, Marx addresses immediate concerns and things that could be changed. He lets those real-world lessons inform what the theory needs, while the theory sketches out directions to go in. His accounts of censorship, including self-censorship arising from economic pressures, the American Civil War, slavery and anti-Black racism, and Britain’s roles in international affairs disclose how intertwined his journalism and philosophy are.
Location: Center for Dewey Studies, Morris Library Basement, Room 0044
Center for Dewey Studies Lunchtime Talks
The Center for Dewey Studies is the home of research, publishing, and outreach focused on the life, work, and legacy of the American philosopher and educator John Dewey. Our Lunchtime Talks feature speakers researching Dewey and related thinkers, work in the pragmatist tradition, and work in a broadly Deweyan spirit.
Information
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Dewey Center Reading Group
The Center for Dewey Studies hosts a Reading Group on works by and about John Dewey and related figures and topics. The meetings are hybrid, in person at the Center and via Zoom. For more info and to join the group, email DeweyCenter@SIU.edu.
The Fall 2026 readings focus on Dewey's political writings from 1903-1927 prior to The Public and Its Problems (1927). We meet Fridays at 1:00pm Central Time.
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Collection Access
Please consult the John Dewey Research Guide for information about Critical Editions and Archival Collections. For questions concerning access to the SIU Archival Collections, including the John Dewey Papers, Photograph Collection, and Personal Library, please visit the Special Collections Research Center website. The Dewey Center also holds a small number of archival materials.
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Planning to visit the Center?
The Center for Dewey Studies is located in the Morris Library on the Basement Level. After entering the library, head down one level and look for signs pointing towards the Center.
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