The Coastal Carolina University lecture series, "Philosophical Inquiries in Focus," will examine the work of English philosopher John Locke. Led by visiting professor Emily Crookston, the event is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 5 p.m. in Lackey Chapel. A discussion will take place after the lecture, which is free and open to the public.

Locke helped develop modern Western philosophy and had a profound influence on America's founders. Issues have been raised about the extent to which Locke's contract theory could be considered sexist. The talk will focus on competing interpretations of Locke's views on marriage and whether those views are chauvinistic. Some say Locke believed that wives should be subordinate to their husbands. This view will be compared with other views of Locke's, such as his famous claim that the source of political authority is consent. Crookston will argue that Locke's conception of authority is incompatible with his ideas of marriage.

Crookston is a visiting assistant professor at CCU and specializes in political philosophy. She has held visiting appointments at Washington University in St. Louis, where she earned her Ph.D., and UNC Chapel Hill. She co-edited "War: Essays in Political Philosophy," an anthology of contemporary essays addressing normative and conceptual issues of war.

Lackey Chapel is located at 105 University Drive across from Blanton Park. For more information, contact Eva Kort, a lecturer in philosophy and religious studies, at 843-349-6605.