Ismael Jimenez and Charlie McGeehan Philadelphia Public School Teachers As we begin a new school year, Philly educators Ismael Jimenez and Charlie McGeehan will discuss the responsibility of teachers in work for justice. Nationally, we face escalating racism, bigotry, and violence, encouraged by the President of the United States. Locally, our students and schools face [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society Intolerance is growing. Our political world is a mess. We are poisoning our biosphere. At times like this, it is easy to forget gratitude. But gratitude is a way of relating to ourselves and to others that nurtures our strength, courage, and resiliency. How do we cultivate gratitude in a world [...]

Stephanie Sena Founder and Executive Director, Student-Run Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia This is a talk about the power of engaging the youth of America in the work of ending chronic homelessness. Her talk examines how SREHUP, a student-run homeless shelter she opened in 2011, has transformed both student participants and the guests who are [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society Communities of color are disproportionately affected by both human violence and climate change. In our species and on our planet, whites generally have control of the forces poisoning our planet and the means to create more sustainable and just economic policy. Come hear Hugh Taft-Morales explore the intersection between racism, [...]

Robert Fleming Director and Professor, Sustainable Design Program, Thomas Jefferson University The sustainability movement ebbs and flows with the intensity of weather, changing economy, shifting societal values, and with different political power structures. In 2019, sustainability is poised to rise again, and this time it’s for good. A changing climate is now becoming the norm: [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society What are the ethical uses of humor? Humor is fun. It can provide important cathartic release of tension and bond groups together. Humor can help us keep our perspective. But humor can also mock and degrade others. It can divide people and create an “in-group” and an “out-group.” Hugh [...]

The Ethical Society platform has been changed, due to the previous speaker's need to cancel. In that speaker's place, the platform will be "The Tao of Ethical Culture" presented from a previous platform by our Ethical Society Leader, Hugh Taft-Morales.

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society How urgent are the crises we face? How radical should our responses be? What do different answers to these questions do to the cohesion of communities? How should we react to extremism expressed by those who feel their very survival is threatened? Hugh Taft-Morales explores these questions through the [...]

Inga Saffron Architectural Critic Acclaimed Philadelphia Inquirer architectural critic since 1999, Inga Saffron will speak about the intersection between lively streets, affordability, equity, and urban success in this city.   Inga Saffron is the architecture critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer and writes a weekly, Philadelphia-focused column on architecture, urban design, and planning. Her work has been recognized with [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society What are we talking about when we speak of “good” and “evil”? The dynamic struggle between good and evil has been examined through art, literature, and philosophy for millennia, but there’s no consensus about the meaning of the terms. Hugh Taft-Morales explores evil as represented in the rise of [...]