This coming Thursday, May 28, Casa de América will host the launch of the book “De la naturaleza humana al liberalismo moderno” (“From Human Nature to Modern Liberalism”). The author, Álvaro Fischer, will engage in a conversation with Member of Parliament Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo (PP), moderated by John Müller. A book signing will follow.
Publisher’s Synopsis: This book attempts to explain why liberal doctrine is the most appropriate for organizing life in contemporary societies, given the evolutionary traits of our species and the social dynamics to which they lead. To this end, the book draws on the evolutionary perspective of the social sciences, as understood by those who have developed it, which describes not only how we are, but also why we are the way we are. This allows us to connect our behavioral traits—part of human nature—with the moral sentiments with which we judge those behaviors, and to understand how both conspire to produce the political doctrines with which we attempt to guide our societies.
It is conceived as a musical piece in six movements. The first two are dedicated to human behavior and its moral psychology, according to the modern perspective of current science, and how the concept of human nature is understood in that context. The next is a brief interlude that discusses the epistemological validity of the preceding ideas. Then comes a movement that articulates the persistent doubts surrounding contemporary political debate, and another that presents the pillars upon which a modern liberal society should be founded, consistent with everything developed up to that point. The last is an epilogue, which raises the future challenges of the human project.
Álvaro Fischer combines his academic and business career with his intellectual pursuits. He is one of the founders of the Resiter group of companies and has served on the board of directors of various companies. He was president of the Institute of Engineers, the first rector of the Technological University of Chile INACAP, and president of Fundación Chile. He is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, and president of the Science and Evolution Foundation. He is currently president of the National Council for Innovation and Development (CNID). Fischer has also developed an intense intellectual activity related to the sciences of evolution and human behavior. His thinking is characterized by integrating approaches from biology, psychology, and economics to analyze human nature and its social implications. He has published several essays, among which *Of a Liberal Nature* (2017) stands out as his most influential work.
Welcome:
– León de la Torre, Director General of Casa de América.
Participants:
– Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, journalist, politician, historian, and member of parliament for Madrid.
– Álvaro Fischer, author of the book.
Moderator: John Müller, journalist and former deputy director of the newspaper *El Mundo*.
Date and time: Thursday, May 28, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
Location: Miguel de Cervantes Room, Casa de América, Madrid.
Free admission until capacity is reached.
