What Makes a Life Significant

A little over a century ago, the Harvard psychologist and philosopher William James gave a public lecture entitled “What Makes a Life Significant?" In honor of the hundredth anniversary of his death and to celebrate his enduring influence, we have invited a panel of distinguished scholars to revisit the question posed in that lecture from a mix of disciplinary perspectives. What do we, in the 21st century, think "makes a life significant"? What can the academy contribute to an exploration of that question?

Jim Kloppenberg (Warren Professor of American History) will introduce and moderate a star-studded panel consisting of Arthur Kleinman (Rabb Professor of Anthropology), Luke Menand (Bass Professor of English), and Cornel West (Class of 1943 University Professor at Princeton).

The panel will begin at 6:00 pm, but we invite you to join us at 5:00 pm for a reception and an opportunity to view an exhibit of rare materials belonging to James from Harvard's archive and collection of historical scientific instruments.