AESOP’S FABLES READING GROUP

facilitated by Dr. Monica Mikhail & Dr. Dena Fehrenbacher

This semester, we will engage one of the oldest surviving traditions of moral instruction in Western literature: the fable, and Aesop’s fables in particular. These short, often ambiguous stories have long been used to teach lessons about virtue, vice, and power. However, they are not straightforward. Rather than offering moral clarity, fables often invite interpretation, disagreements, and reflection, raising questions about how moral knowledge is produced, transmitted, and lived. Consequently, we choose this text precisely because it does not offer a tidy lesson on virtue. Instead, it provokes reflection on the relationship between moral judgement and how we live our lives.

Join us in reading and discussing this text together, alongside our Spring 2026 semester theme “The Moral Life.”

This reading group will meeting monthly, during lunch hour. You will find the reading schedule below. Feel free to drop in to the meetings that best suit your schedule (i.e. you do not need to commit to attending all monthly meetings).

This reading group is open to the general public. RSVP is requested as lunch will be provided.

Reach out to info@binst.org with any questions.