WHAT WE OWE OTHERS

UNDERGRADUATE COLLOQUIUM

What do we owe others — and the world we share? What commitments do we already carry, and which ones do we have the opportunity to make? And how might we experience these commitments not primarily as a burden, but as a kind of freedom and beauty in daily life — one that resists the pressure to treat relationships as transactions, as merely means to self-interested ends?

In conversation with our Fall 2026 theme, this undergraduate colloquium will explore what it means to live and think in the world if we take human dignity seriously. We'll ask these questions at the scale of daily undergraduate life — how we see, listen, and pay attention to others, in and beyond college. And we'll ask them at a larger scale too — considering what world we are building, and choosing to participate in, through our care for each other and the world we share.

Over two days, we'll draw on resources from religious and philosophical traditions to think through these questions, and put them into practice together — through excursions, discussions, and shared meals.

This program is free and open to undergraduate students and recent graduates (≤1 year) who are not currently enrolled in a graduate program. Participants are required to attend the retreat in its entirety, which will take place at the Berkeley Institute. See below for descriptions of each session and a general schedule of events.

Space is limited. Priority will be given to early applicants. Applications will remain open until spots are filled, or will close by Tuesday, October 6th.

Session 1 | Commitments to Others in the Classroom
Facilitated by Dr. Dena Fehrenbacher, Senior Fellow of the Berkeley Institute
Respondent: Prof. Kristin Primus, UC Berkeley
How do our commitments to one another shape academic life? First, we’ll examine a few conceptual frameworks of duty, justice, and love to reflect on how we orient ourselves to others, especially as students. We will then focus on relational practices in the classroom, using listening as a primary example. What sort of listening do we owe to others — and do we need more than conceptual frameworks to attend to others well?

Session 2 | Permaculture as a Portal: Perspectives on Care and Interconnectedness from the Islamic Tradition
Facilitated by Dr. Munir Jiwa and Prof. Rhamis Kent, Zaytuna College
In Partnership with Zaytuna College
This session introduces students to permaculture as a portal to understanding our commitment to care, our interconnectedness, and the preciousness of life.  Focusing on teachings from the Islamic tradition, and contextual learning in the Zaytuna garden, we will be invited to learn about the principles and processes for regenerative practices, stewardship, and bridge-building. We will reflect on how care for the earth and each other is itself an expression of gratitude, our responsibility to the flourishing of all creation, and a way of moving through the world collaboratively, gently, and with ihsan (beauty).

Session 3 | The Christian Vision of Dignity in the Modern World: Reflections on Magnifica Humanitas
Facilitated by Prof. Zach Flanagin, St. Mary’s College of California
Modern culture tells — and sells — a story of humanity in which our worth is tied to our ability to produce, purchase, and perform — a narrative that is only reinforced by advances in technology that are transforming every aspect of contemporary life.  The Christian tradition is inspired by a different vision of humanity, one in which humanity is created and redeemed by the God who is perfect love, and called to bear witness to and defend the gift of dignity that is granted to each one of us. In this session, we will use selections from Magnifica Humanitas as a lens for exploring this vision.