Narrative Reflections: Philosophy in Literature & Film

Let's talk about death.

Join us for a loosely structured open discussion where we talk about our understanding, thoughts, fears, and experiences, among other things, in regard to death and dying.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines utopia as “An imagined or hypothetical place, system, or state of existence in which everything is perfect, esp. in respect of social structure, laws, and politics.” This term, now used in common parlance, was first used by Thomas More in his highly influential text where he dreams of a society free from the grievances of his social reality. Although the properties of an “ideal” society have been debated and defined for millennia, Utopia remains one of the most controversial and provocative texts of moral and political philosophy to this day. Was Thomas More writing satirically, sincerely, or somewhere in between? How was his writing influenced by his era of history? What can we salvage for our own lives?

Join us to wrestle with these questions and more in our close reading of the text. We encourage you to read this short, often humorous, philosophical work (just over 100 pages!) which is linked below. If you would like to do some optional supplemental reading, we will also briefly discuss China Mieville’s introduction to the work, “The Limits of Utopia,” which examines the utopian ideal in relation to the current threat of environmental collapse.

We revisit Michal Sandel and his “Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?” which is a great introduction to moral and political philosophy through the use of real-world dilemmas. Drawing on debates between utilitarianism, libertarianism, and theories of justice, he invites readers and viewers to reason about fairness, rights, and the common good, modeling philosophy as a shared civic practice rather than an abstract academic exercise.

Michael Sandel is an American political philosopher and long-time Harvard professor best known for bringing moral and political philosophy to broad public audiences. A leading critic of unfettered market reasoning and meritocratic hubris, his work examines how moral values should shape public life. Sandel is also known for the books “What Money Can't Buy” and “The Tyranny of Merit,” which challenge the moral limits of markets and question the social consequences of merit-based ideals.

Join us for this discussion about Justice in the modern world. All are welcome and no reading is required!