Professor Li Min of China University of Political Science and Law Delivers Lecture on "Radical Evil, the Banality of Evil, and Legal Professional Ethics" at Nanchang University Law School

On the afternoon of May 21, 2026, Professor Li Min, a professor at the Law School of China University of Political Science and Law and Doctor of Laws, visited the Law School of Nanchang University to deliver a special lecture entitled "Radical Evil, the Banality of Evil, and Legal Professional Ethics" in Conference Room A233 of the Humanities and Law Building. Professor Lu Nan, Tenured Associate Professor at the Law School of Tsinghua University, Director of the Center for Legal Globalization, and Editor-in-Chief of Tsinghua Forum on the Rule of Law, was invited to serve as the discussant. The lecture was chaired by Professor Li Tiansheng, Dean of the Law School, and attended by more than 50 faculty members and students, creating a lively and engaging academic atmosphere.

At the outset of the lecture, Professor Li Min drew upon the political philosophy of Hannah Arendt to explore how legal professionals can recognize both radical evil and the banality of evil within their historical and social contexts. She systematically examined the historical circumstances under which the Nazi regime rose to power through legal means within a highly developed state governed by the rule of law. Professor Li argued that the greatest danger lies not merely in acts of extraordinary violence themselves, but in the underlying mechanisms through which countless members of the elite relinquish independent judgment and become complicit within sophisticated institutional structures.

Professor Li concluded by turning to the mission of legal education. She emphasized that cultivating outstanding legal professionals requires far more than teaching statutory interpretation and procedural techniques. More fundamentally, legal education must equip students with the capacity for independent judgment and a strong sense of moral responsibility when confronting complex and challenging situations. In her view, the essence of legal professional ethics education lies in fostering deep critical thinking and awakening moral conscience.

During the discussion session, Professor Lu Nan commented on Professor Li's presentation by drawing on his observations of contemporary social media. He noted that online spaces are often dominated by emotionally charged discourse and reinforced by information bubbles. Without the ability to think critically, young people can easily be swept along by prevailing opinions. He encouraged students to cultivate independent judgment in today's complex information environment, avoiding both blind conformity and unquestioning acceptance, and to uphold the dignity of the legal profession through intellectual clarity and careful reasoning.

In his concluding remarks, Dean Li Tiansheng extended a warm welcome and sincere appreciation to Professors Li Min and Lu Nan for their insightful presentations. He observed that their profound analysis of radical evil and the banality of evil offers valuable inspiration for the intellectual development of future legal professionals. He encouraged students not only to refine their professional knowledge and legal skills, but also to maintain independent moral judgment in the face of complex circumstances and to fulfill the mission of the law with integrity, responsibility, and a clear moral conscience.

May 27, 2026