DePaulPotter notes- The Banality of Evil

Last Saturday, I got to attend the illustrious DePaul Pop Culture Conference, this year focused on Harry Potter. I took some notes on a few sessions.

The Banality of Evil: Collaborators and Appeasement in Harry Potter
Michi Trota- Chicago Nerds | Uncanny Magazine | Raks Geek
Matt Peters- Chicago Nerds | Since Last We Spoke | Digital Dumpster Diving
Jennifer Cross- Just Write Chicago
Kate Lansky- Writer

I have to admit that I was primed for some Arendt/Potter crossover in this panel based on the title. Wound up not getting to that, but check out The Banality of Evil from Arendt's coverage of the Eichmann trial if you're interested--contains some cutting insights on how evil functions (less out of villainy, more out of pettiness) in ways that closely mirror the Potterverse and the present-day issues the panelists were addressing.

Chicago Philosophy: Aliens and Ethics

Zach Weinersmith's "Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal"

Last Saturday the Chicago Philosophy Meetup hosted a really delightful session on "Aliens and Ethics". I'd wanted to put it on the upcoming events list, but the RSVP list filled to capacity almost immediately. It was definitely a philosophy discussion with a slight science fictional twist, as opposed to the other way around, but with a lot of genre relevance. I've consistently found SF to prepare me think about philosophy and vice versa; there's some interesting parallels in their at-least-purported commitment to rationality and using consistent but imaginative thinking to explore "what-ifs".