R: Take off the mask.

TUESDAY, October 29th at 7.30pm in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room

Your authentic self—do you know him or her? The virtue of honesty is expressed, in part, by authenticity and openness with others. But what to do when you've confused identity with presentation? Disentangling the two to discover your authentic self is an onerous task that requires careful reflection. More troubling still is confronting the person underneath. But then, one might argue that it is better to censor the self, including all its savage behaviors, ideas and eccentricities. In any case, how does the mask relate to online personae and anonymity in the digital age? I’ll leave you with the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Society is a masked ball, where everyone hides his real character, and reveals it by hiding.”
 
Come join us this TUESDAY NIGHT (read: not the traditional Wednesday night time) at 7:30 p.m. in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room as we debate this appropriately-themed resolution two nights before All Hallow's Eve. All are welcome!    

R: Reply 'M' to mute.

Wednesday, October 16th at 7.30pm in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong….(one hour later)…Ding-dong, ding-dong, diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinggggggg-

dooooooong!!! Has this been the background music to your class in LC all semester? Who the heck thought it would be a good idea to play REALLY LOUD bells in the middle of the day?? Are you in JE, Branford or Saybrook and find it difficult to live, let alone study when these bells are playing the latest pop culture hits (or, more commonly, simply ringing to a completely indiscernible tune for an entire hour)? In other words, if you are a completely sane human being, REPLY M to MUTE the HARKNESS BELLS.
 
Or, if you a) are a Carillonneur or b) actually agree with your lying-through-his/her-teeth Yale tour guide that listening to the songs played from Harkness is a “quintessential Yale experience,” forward this email to all your friends to proclaim the majesty of the Harkness Bells!
 
Whether you want to vent your frustration about the Harkness Bells, spam emails, people who complain about the Harkness Bells, or people who REPLY ALL to spam emails (it never ceases to amaze how many people actually do this)…or wish simply to extol the beauty of music or explore the power of the email as a means of communication…join us at 7:30 in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room for our semesterly joke debate! All are welcome.

R: Capitalism is good for the soul.

Wednesday, October 9th at 7.30pm in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room

Does belief in and participation in the capitalist system allow us to lead good lives? An entrepreneur has to maintain a good reputation through fair and honest trade if he wants to remain in business very long. But though our American society, and indeed most free societies, have come to embrace capitalism (despite our quibbles over how much it should be regulated), is it possible that our passion for the virtues of free markets and competition will come back to bite us someday? To what extent are we morally culpable for capitalism’s negative effects on the destitute, especially in developing countries? Is there merit to the argument that material prosperity gives us the time and motivation to focus on developing ourselves spiritually or morally? Or will gluttony of choice and materialism be the downfall of our society and culture? It may do well to ponder what Winston Churchill had to say on the subject: “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” 

Come join us this Wednesday at 7:30 in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room as we put on our economic philosophy caps to debate these and other questions concerning the virtues and vices of capitalism. All are welcome!

R: It is strange to be anything at all.

Edmund Burke Weekend Alumni Debate

Friday, October 4th at 7.30pm in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room

Can we ever hope to grasp the cause and meaning of our individual human existence? Is it unexplainable, or the result of a grand, ordered and systematic process? If the latter, how do we retain freedom of choice and responsibility in a seemingly deterministic world? What role can a meaningful search for authenticity play in allowing us to exist in this indifferent world? These questions are perhaps even more important than ever for those trying to fight the progressive tide. Is it worth it to acquiesce to contemporaneous currents of history? Or do we have a moral obligation to ourselves (or anyone else) to remain true to our values? In a social, political and cultural context, how can we relate to the Other?
 
This Friday evening at 7:30 in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room, the Federalist Party will be graced with the presence of her illustrious alumni, whose post-Yale “real world” wisdom will surely light up the debate floor. All are welcome for our annual Edmund Burke Weekend  alumni debate!

R: This house prefers potential to accomplishment.

Wednesday, September 25th at 7.30pm in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room

One of the constant refrains of college admissions officers is that they select students not so much for their prior accomplishments, but rather for their potential to make productive use of that college’s resources. Unfulfilled promise signals youth, energy and long-term investment. But is it wise to put one’s faith in something unseen, merely hoping that it may blossom in the future? Just ask anyone dissatisfied with the failed promises of our elected leaders.
 
So does potential have a shelf life? Is it possible to live a good life valuing potential over accomplishment? If we are called to serve others and make the most of our talents, isn’t singularly focusing on potential wrong? This dichotomy has its metaphysical roots as well—Aristotle himself drew up a distinction between potentiality and actuality.
 
Come join us this Wednesday at 7:30 in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room as we debate these and other potential questions. All are welcome!