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Lea Ypi Inaugural Lecture | Are revolutions justified?
26 January @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Ralph Miliband has written poignantly on the limits of parliamentary democracy. But are revolutions justified?
Moralists think that if the ends of revolution are right, revolution cannot be wrong. Legalists think that since the means of revolution are wrong, revolution cannot be right. In this lecture Lea Ypi revisits their arguments and offers an alternative that cuts across the divide. She examines revolution not in relation to the justice demanded by specific agents but grounded on a philosophical theory of history that focuses on collective progress.
Meet our speaker, chair and moderator
Lea Ypi (@lea_ypi) is the Ralph Miliband Professor in Politics and Philosophy at LSE, a fellow of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, and Honorary Professor at ANU. Author of Free and Indignity (Penguin), her work has won major prizes, including the RSL Ondaatje Prize and Leverhulme Prize, and been translated into 35+ languages. She coedits Political Philosophy and writes for the FT and Guardian.
Andrew Murray is Dean of LSE Law School and Professor of Law specialising in new media and technology law. A fellow of the RSA, he has advised the UK House of Lords and the Saudi government, and previously held visiting posts at Sciences Po and the Amsterdam Law and Technology Institute. He delivered the 2020 TMC Asser Lecture and is a reviewer for major international research awards.
Andrés Velasco is the Dean of the LSE School of Public Policy and a former Chilean Minister of Finance, recognised internationally for his fiscal policy leadership. He has held prominent global roles, including serving on the G20 Eminent Persons Group, co-chairing the Global Panel on the Future of Multilateral Lending Institutions, and participating in the Global Oceans Commission. A 2013 presidential candidate in Chile, he has also held academic posts at Columbia University, Harvard University, and NYU. Velasco holds degrees from Yale and a PhD in economics from Columbia, has authored numerous academic works and novels, and has advised major international organisations, governments, and financial institutions worldwide.
More about this event
LSE Law School (@LSELaw) is one of the world’s best schools. In the UK, it was ranked third by The Complete University Guide in 2025. In the QS World University rankings for 2025, the law school was ranked sixth (out of 200 worldwide). We strive to accomplish excellence in all of our endeavours, helping students, alumni and staff to achieve their full potential in everything they do.
The LSE School of Public Policy (@LSEPublicPolicy) is an international community where ideas and practice meet. Our approach creates professionals with the ability to analyse, understand and resolve the challenges of contemporary governance.
Join us on campus or register to watch the event online at LSE Live. LSE Live is the home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can’t attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE’s YouTube channel.
How to attend?
In-person: You can request one ticket via the online ticket request form, which will be open here after 12 noon on Monday 15 December. The ticket line will stay open until all tickets have been allocated. Please click here for further ticket information.
Online: Registration will open in early January.
Hosted by LSE Law School and the School of Public Policy


