Ruskin Scholar Amy Woodson-Boulton in a Coffeehouse Conversation with Rawls Scholar Sharon Lloyd

What do the writings of John Ruskin have to offer us in this age of suspicion, partisanship, doubts about even the possibility of civic public debate, and fears of “fake news” across the political spectrum? Writing at the height of Liberalism and laissez-faire political economics, Ruskin worked for a society that would consider human well-being first, ahead of simple measures of wealth or productivity. We will consider why “truth” was such a crucial aspect of Ruskin’s critique of his own society (and by extension, of ours).

Lunch provided, open to the public To RSVP, visit the USC Levan Institute website: www.dornsife.usc.edu/levan-institute

Sharon Lloyd is professor of Philosophy, Law, and Political Science at USC Dornsife and program director of the Levan Coffeehouse series

Amy Woodson-Boulton is associate professor of British and Irish history and recent past chair of the history department at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. She earned her doctorate from UCLA in 2003. Her work concentrates on cultural reactions to industrialization, particularly the history of art museums, the social role of art, and the changing status and meaning of art and nature in modern society.