The Caroline Werner Gannett Project 2007-08
Matt Crawford

Matt Crawford

political philosopher and master mechanic

Presenting:

“The Case for Working with Your Hands”

When: Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at 8:00PM
Where: Webb Auditorium (Building 7A)

“Workshop”

When: Wednesday, September 8, 2010 10-11AM
Where: CIMS Machine Tool Lab, Room #1270


Talk Description:
Based on his own experience as an electrician and mechanic, Matthew Crawford makes a case for the kind of work that requires mastery of real things. Surprisingly, such work can be more intellectually demanding than the sort that deals only in abstractions. Maintenance and repair work also cultivate certain ethical virtues, fostering habits of individual responsibility. This is a case for self-reliance, as against the passivity and dependence of consumer culture.

Biography:
Matthew B. Crawford received his Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Chicago. Currently a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, he owns and operates Shockoe Moto, an independent motorcycle repair shop in Richmond, Virginia.



Links: Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work