The University of Chicago Graham School welcomed philanthropist, investor, and civic leader David Rubenstein for a thought-provoking Bowe Stewart Lecture exploring the importance of civic education, public service, and preserving America’s history. Drawing on stories from his remarkable career, David shared how a lifelong commitment to public service has shaped his philanthropic work, from helping…...
A conversation with John J. Mearsheimer and Jennifer A. Lind on the history and founding ideas that shape U.S. relations beyond its borders.
In this conversation with Dawn M. Carpenter, distinguished ethicist, financial advisor, and author of The Longevity Equation, we explored how healthspan and wealthspan are deeply intertwined across the life course. Carpenter introduced her framework for understanding longevity as an outcome shaped not only by medical care, but by financial security, institutional design, and the responsible…...
This lecture examines Albert Camus’s philosophy of absurdism and suggests that, in works such as The Myth of Sisyphus, he defends a life of courage and solidarity as a defiance of nihilism.
In this conversation with Michael Rossi, associate professor of the history of medicine and author of his recent book about Duke Kahanamoku Capturing Kahanamoku: How a Surfing Legend and a Scientific Obsession Redefined Race and Culture, we explored how a surfing legend became the subject of a eugenics campaign in 1920s America, and how he…...
Naomi Baron on how AI is reshaping reading, learning, and critical thinking.
In this conversation, journalist, author, and educator Lucy Kellaway discussed midlife transition, lifelong learning, and her book Re-Educated. Kellaway reflected on her decision to leave a 30-year career at the Financial Times to retrain as a secondary school teacher and cofound NowTeach, a charity supporting older professionals entering the classroom. The conversation explored what it…...
This lecture examines how reading Great Books can help us think clearly amid crisis.
In this conversation with Lin Atnip, tutor at St. John’s College and incoming Basic Program instructor at the Graham School, we explored one of today’s most pressing questions: what is intelligence in the age of AI? We examined the fundamental differences between human and machine thinking, focusing on concepts like embodiment, desire, and tacit knowledge…...
In this conversation with Pamela Narins, social scientist, former Bader Rutter executive, and instructor of the upcoming course, How Do We Disagree? Antigone and Twelve Angry Men, we explored why disagreement feels especially difficult today, amid rising polarization, the loss of shared experience, and the tendency to view disagreement as a social ill rather than a…...
In this conversation with Julianne Miles, co-founder of Career Returners, chartered psychologist, and author of Return Journey: How to Get Back to Work and Thrive After a Career Break, we explored what it really looks like to navigate the “return journey” after time away from paid work. We also examined why career breaks are still stigmatized…...
A journey into Melville’s American epic and its enduring power.