Moral Technology and Cultural Memory: Humanities Education as the Framework for a Democratic Society with Mike Rosenthal

Moral Technology and Cultural Memory: Humanities Education as the Framework for a Democratic Society At a time when schools face growing pressure to prioritize economic outcomes and technological skills, what essential human capacities risk being neglected? Longtime Berkshire educator Michael Rosenthal will explore the enduring role of Humanities education in cultivating critical thinking, moral imagination, cultural memory, and democratic citizenship. Drawing upon the recent work of philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum, literary scholar Marshall Gregory, and literary theorist Jonathan Gottschall, Rosenthal will examine how literature, storytelling, discussion, and reflective inquiry help prepare young people not merely for careers, but for participation in a free and democratic society. Grounded in the daily realities of a public high school classroom and enriched by reflections from current students, this presentation will invite participants to reconsider the purpose of education in the twenty-first century. A community discussion will immediately follow. Michael G. Rosenthal has taught English at Monument Mountain Regional High School since 2009. He was also an adjunct Theatre professor at the State University of New York at Albany for five years. Michael holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree from the Actors Studio Drama School/New School University. As a playwright, he had several of his plays produced in Off-Off Broadway theaters. He has a free Substack account for his essays titled The Eclectic Estate. He is ineffably grateful for his wife Allison and his sons Mason and Gabriel.