In this talk, I explore ways that the aesthetic character of places (inviting, strange, threatening, familiar, comforting, creepy, seedy, sinister, somber, serene, etc.) can impact moral, prudential, and political norms that operate in those spaces. This will in turn lead to questions about how we should approach our power to shape the aesthetic character of places.

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The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence Network Talks (PAINT) is hosting a two-day in-person workshop at University of Toronto on September 25th and 26th, 2026. The theme of the workshop is Philosophy of AI and Science. Topics covered will include philosophical aspect of artificial intelligence, philosophy of science, epistemology of science, philosophy of mind, metascience.

A light breakfast , coffee, and lunch will be provided on both days.

Across the world, politics is returning to one of its oldest questions: should the state promote particular, substantive conceptions of the good life?

Modern liberalism has approached this ambition with suspicion, seeking instead to leave individuals and communities free to pursue different visions of human flourishing. Yet from Hungary and the United States to China, India, and Israel, influential movements and governments increasingly reject this restraint, using law, education, welfare, media, and public culture to promote specific ideals of family, order, harmony, pride, sacrifice, and belonging.

This talk examines the return of what I call the “good life state.” I argue that these projects cannot be understood only through the languages of authoritarianism, populism, or democratic backsliding. They also offer substantive moral visions—sometimes attractive, sometimes dangerous—of how people ought to live. Their rise poses a difficult question for liberalism: how can it respond to rival visions of the good life without becoming a good life state itself?

Spotlighting Alexandre Kojeve's distinct contributions to legal scholarship, while also showcasing his broader influence across a range of disciplines - including philosophy, political theory, sociology, law, and transnational studies - these two books include original contributions from eminent editors, translators, and biographers of Kojeve, as well as from historians of legal and political thought, specialists on global trade and private international law, statelessness, and public international law.

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