When: Every Monday (except Holidays) during the semester Time: 4:15pm - 5:45pm Where: Room 14N-417 Come by for snacks, and tea with Literature Section friends, instructors, students, etc. What are you reading? What 21L classes are you taking or hoping to take? This event is specifically geared towards undergrads; but open to friends of the community that engage in the literary and humanities at MIT.
Presented by Sasha Rickard PhD candidate in Political Science at Boston College and Assistant Director of Concourse, MIT Abstract: Despite Socrates’ reputation as a moral gadfly, there is much disagreement about his position on the role of pleasure in the good life. In the ancient world, schools of thought as opposed as Epicureanism and Stoicism grew out of interpretations of Socratic teachings. Neither is this disagreement resolved by modern scholars. In Plato’s Philebus, Socrates interrogates a young interlocutor about the nature and goodness of pleasure. In the course of this interrogation, Socrates walks us through a phenomenological account of pleasure in its many forms, helping us to clarify our own experiences as well as the Socratic perspective on the role of pleasure in the good life. At the same time, through the arguments and decisions of Socrates’ interlocutors, Plato shows us something about the allure of hedonism. I will suggest that a careful reading of the Philebus helps to resolve the long-standing disagreement about Socrates’ perspective on pleasure, and to point to forces which incline us in the modern world, and especially intellectually ambitious young people, toward the belief that pleasure is the greatest good. Sasha Rickard is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Boston College, […]
When: Every Monday (except Holidays) during the semester Time: 4:15pm - 5:45pm Where: Room 14N-417 Come by for snacks, and tea with Literature Section friends, instructors, students, etc. What are you reading? What 21L classes are you taking or hoping to take? This event is specifically geared towards undergrads; but open to friends of the community that engage in the literary and humanities at MIT.
Join us for an evening with Julia Malye, author, translator, and rising literary voice, as she discusses her latest novel, Pelican Girls—a sweeping historical epic that brings to light a little-known chapter of French and American history. A work of sweeping historical fiction, the novel follows the perilous journey of young women sent from Paris to Louisiana in 1721, bound for arranged marriages in a colony desperate for settlers. But Pelican Girls is more than just a historical epic—it’s a deeply human story of survival, resilience, and sisterhood, set against the backdrop of colonial expansion, Indigenous resistance, and the brutal realities of the 18th-century Americas. Written simultaneously in French and English, Pelican Girls is also a fascinating exploration of language, identity, and the act of storytelling itself. During this conversation, Malye will discuss the research and creative process behind the novel, her experience writing in two languages, and how translation shapes literature. She will be joined by Shuchi Saraswat, writer, editor, and senior editor at AGNI, for a lively discussion about historical fiction, cross-cultural storytelling, and the art of bringing lost voices back to life. Our author talk will be followed by a Q&A session, with a book signing and a glass of wine. The event will […]
Stop by for snacks and tea with the SHASS community, students, and instructors! HumaniTea is a program partnering with other units in SHASS to gather, share some food and thought, and enrich our shared MIT experience in the process. Once a month, SHASS community members, instructors, and students from diverse fields of studies, backgrounds, and interests can stop in and enjoy a cup of tea or snack. Monday, February 24 Monday, March 17 Monday, April 7 Monday, May 5 @ 4:15 - 5:45PM Building 14E-304* *Directions: Third floor of Building 14 from the Lewis Music Library stairs, through the CMS/W doors. Alternatively, take the elevator to the 3rd floor and navigate to the opposite end of the hallway, through third floor and CMS/W doors! Sign up for HumaniTea info: bit.ly/mithumanitea
1. GHI Forum Series Join our online 2025 GHI Forum Series to hear about GHI’s research and action plan for each pillar from our pillar coordinators, explore common passions and interests, and discuss how you can join our efforts and particular projects. We convene each month on a mid-month Thursday or Friday from 8 am to 9:30 AM EST. 1st GHI Forum Title: Cognition, Learning & Human Flourishing Date: February 21, 8:00–9:30 AM EST Speakers: Jonas Mago, Justus Wachs 2nd GHI Forum Title: The Good Life: Religions, Philosophies & Sciences Date: April 11, 10:00–11:30 AM EDT Speakers: Rafal K. Stepien, Simran Jeet Singh, Andreas Ohlemacher, Wiebke Denecke 3rd GHI Forum Title: Public Literacies: Civic Systems, Media & Emotional Intelligence Date: May 9, 10:00–11:30 AM EDT Speakers: Richard Eberhardt, Gabor Hollbeck, Mikael Jakobsson 4th GHI Forum Title: Good Governance in Bad Times Date: June 6, 10:00–11:30 AM EDT Speakers: Wiebke Denecke, Johannes Makar, Michael Puett 2. Roundtable Humanisms & Renaissances across World History–a Timely & Casual Conversation Time: March 21, 4:00-5:30 pm Location: MIT Hayden Library, Nexus Space 14S-130 A Roundtable with Laura Ashe (English Literature, Oxford University) Jason Chen (MIT’25, Mechanical Engineering & Literature) Wiebke Denecke (East Asian Literatures and Thought, MIT) Johannes Makar (Arabic Intellectual Thought, Harvard University) Ugo Mondini (Byzantine and Greek Studies, Oxford […]
When: Every Monday (except Holidays) during the semester Time: 4:15pm - 5:45pm Where: Room 14N-417 Come by for snacks, and tea with Literature Section friends, instructors, students, etc. What are you reading? What 21L classes are you taking or hoping to take? This event is specifically geared towards undergrads; but open to friends of the community that engage in the literary and humanities at MIT.
1. GHI Forum Series Join our online 2025 GHI Forum Series to hear about GHI’s research and action plan for each pillar from our pillar coordinators, explore common passions and interests, and discuss how you can join our efforts and particular projects. We convene each month on a mid-month Thursday or Friday from 8 am to 9:30 AM EST. 1st GHI Forum Title: Cognition, Learning & Human Flourishing Date: February 21, 8:00–9:30 AM EST Speakers: Jonas Mago, Justus Wachs 2nd GHI Forum Title: The Good Life: Religions, Philosophies & Sciences Date: April 11, 10:00–11:30 AM EDT Speakers: Rafal K. Stepien, Simran Jeet Singh, Andreas Ohlemacher, Wiebke Denecke 3rd GHI Forum Title: Public Literacies: Civic Systems, Media & Emotional Intelligence Date: May 9, 10:00–11:30 AM EDT Speakers: Richard Eberhardt, Gabor Hollbeck, Mikael Jakobsson 4th GHI Forum Title: Good Governance in Bad Times Date: June 6, 10:00–11:30 AM EDT Speakers: Wiebke Denecke, Johannes Makar, Michael Puett 2. Roundtable Humanisms & Renaissances across World History–a Timely & Casual Conversation Time: March 21, 4:00-5:30 pm Location: MIT Hayden Library, Nexus Space 14S-130 A Roundtable with Laura Ashe (English Literature, Oxford University) Jason Chen (MIT’25, Mechanical Engineering & Literature) Wiebke Denecke (East Asian Literatures and Thought, MIT) Johannes Makar (Arabic Intellectual Thought, Harvard University) Ugo Mondini (Byzantine and Greek Studies, Oxford […]
Literature Section
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue 14N-407
Cambridge, MA 02139
tel: (617) 253-3581
