Liberal Arts

[close] Bibliomaniacs in Ashoka Through letters, words and books- we travel the multiverse of different thoughts, values, knowledge and worlds. This forum serves to find companions in the journey and trip.

[close] Do We Have an Obligation to Help Others? What is the Basic Social Contract? If a family member is going through a rough patch, of course we’ll do what we can to help them out, right? But what about a co-worker? Not so fast. And let’s say you’re on BART late at night and see a guy who looks like he’s had a few too many. Who among us is going to make sure he gets home safely? Of course, we can’t possibly offer help to everyone in the world who needs it. So where do we draw the line? Friends but not neighbors? Bay Area but not Central Valley? California but not Oklahoma? America but not Afghanistan? In this course, we will be reading two classic short stories: Katherine Mansfield’s ”The Garden Party” and Herman Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener.” They are different in just about every way (for example, one is short, the other is long; one is creepy and dark, the other is sweet and bright, etc.), with one big exception: They both ask us to consider the ways we’re connected to the people around us, and the responsibilities of our shared humanity. We will discuss these weighty questions, and whatever other questions may come up. Please register for this course at http://www.sfpolis.com before Dec. 2, 2013 Instructor: Daniel Herman When: December 3rd, 10th, 17th (Tuesdays) 7:00-8:30 PM Where: The Women’s Building, 3543 18th St, SF

[close] The Pomona College Book Club connects alumni, faculty, students, parents, staff members and friends of Pomona to the intellectual vitality of campus. Every few months a new book comes to life through online discussion, in-person events, exclusive video and audio interviews, and more. Here you can join the conversation about the community read, or share recommendations of other favorite titles with fellow Sagehens. For a guide to getting started on Goodreads, please visit "How the Pomona College Book Club Works". Please take a moment to read through the "Group Posting and Commenting Policy".

[close] The novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy is a deeply philosophical masterpiece of nineteenth-century Russian literature. In it Tolstoy explores one of the fundamental questions of human existence–what does it mean to live a good life? During this two-week Polis session, we will examine together the promises and pitfalls of living what on the surface seems to be a “perfect” life.