Societies have always used shared stories to teach people what is right, how to live together, and what makes a meaningful life. Ancient Greece had Homer’s epics, shaping ideas of honor and community. Renaissance Italy looked to Cicero and Virgil to imagine the virtuous citizen. Imperial China was united for centuries through the Confucian classics, which grounded civic life in shared moral study.

Questions we’ll be mulling: what shared texts could help us have deeper, more grounded conversations today and build a better civic life? Could we imagine a modern canon that everyone draws from? If so, how could we bring that canon into daily life to create a truly shared context? And is that even worth trying?

This will be a casual, open discussion. We’ll look at a few historical examples to spark ideas and see where the conversation takes us.

There will also be snacks!