Ever find yourself in a position where you can't seem to convince other people of your ideas? This class will explore the art of persuasive speaking, to help you convince others that you're right*. We'll talk about how construct a compelling argument, how to respond to someone else's (less compelling) argument, how to ask insightful questions, and how to present your ideas in a clear and well-articulated way. And we'll do it all through a group debate over one of the most important and unanswered questions: What is the right thing to do? *Even if you’re not.

What are we supposed to do with our lives? What makes them meaningful? How should we best use our (relatively short) time on this earth? This course will attempt to explore some of these questions by looking not at philosophers whose lives and existences seem far removed from our own, but from contemporary thinkers who show us that these ideas haven’t ceased to be relevant. Learn what John Green has to say on starting over, J.K. Rowling on the power of imagination, Lin Manuel Miranda on storytelling, and so much more. We can’t promise a perfect answer, but do promise that we’ll all try to get a little closer to understanding how to “take your time, but don’t waste your time. There’s a difference."

In “The Moral of the Story,” students will study the basics of moral philosophy through the lens of children’s literature. Using popular stories as a starting point, this class will discuss one of society’s most challenging questions: What is the right thing to do? We’ll examine possible answers and how to convey them simply, looking at how and why we incorporate them into books for children.