Compact Seminar: Truth and Lies (Jan. 30-Feb. 20)

What: The goal of this seminar is to bring the boundary lines between truth and lies back into sharp focus, with discussion ranging from the nature of self-deception to whether it’s ever okay to lie. Possible texts include selections from Thomas Aquinas, Kant, Havel's "The Power of the Powerless," Kupfer's "The Moral Presumption against Lying," Shakespeare's Othello, Peck's People of the Lie, and Budziszewski's What We Can't Not Know.

When: Tuesdays January 30, February 6, 13, and 20 from 7:00-8:30 PM

Where: 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78756

Dr. Kevin E. Stuart is the executive director of the Austin Institute for the Study of Family & Culture. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin where he studied public law and political philosophy, and was a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge. He earned a Master of Sciences from the London School of Economics and Political Science after receiving undergraduate degrees in history and English literature from Louisiana State University. He is the editor of the Catholicism & Society book series for the Society for Catholic Social Scientists (Franciscan University Press).

Dr. DeAnn Barta Stuart earned her B.A. and M.Hum. from the University of Dallas and her Ph.D. in English Literature from Baylor University. Over the years, she has received various teaching awards at the middle school, high school, and college levels, including Campus Teacher of the Year on two campuses within the Carroll Independent School District, District Teacher of the Year, and Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor. When she’s not working, DeAnn loves to host dinners with her husband, to plan trips to faraway places, and to go on long hikes.