Our next public philosophy event takes place on Tuesday October 30th at 6:00pm in the Downtown Eugene Public Library.

We cannot think of a more timely topic in the context of today’s public and political discourse than “What’s Luck Got to Do With It?”

Should we define our individual or collective successes and failures in life in terms of personal responsibility, grit and hard work? Or should we take stock of our lives by acknowledging luck and a variety of circumstances that are beyond our control?

Two people are texting on their cell phones while driving their car. Driver #1 manages to text for several minutes without getting into an accident. Driver #2 texts for only half a minute but, during this time, fails to notice a child who has run into the street chasing after a ball. How should we judge each driver? If we assess their actions alone, then both are equally at fault. If we take into account the consequences of their texting behaviors, then one driver was just lucky while the other was guilty of a serious crime.

So how should we judge our actions and the actions of others? Should people be evaluated by the choices they make? Or by the consequences of those choices?

Is each of us simply the product of circumstances that are largely beyond our control? If that’s true, then how much of who we are is based on luck and how much comes from our initiative and hard work? Is an undocumented person caught at the border someone who chose to break the law, or an unlucky victim of poverty or political repression? Should a billionaire CEO of a pharmaceutical company take credit for his accumulation of wealth and power if family upbringing, educational opportunities and inheritance played major roles in his success?

In other words, when it comes to assessing praise or blame, what’s luck got to do with it?

Come to the next Community Philosophy Circle to explore these questions together. And feel free to pass this message and poster on to friends!

All ages are welcome, and all public philosophy events are free.

For more information, contact Paul Bodin or Caroline Lundquist.