The Capps Center at UCSB presents public lectures that seek to advance discussion of issues related to ethics, values and public life, and to encourage non-partisan, non-sectarian civic participation.
A Tribute to Walter H. Capps: Scholar Teacher Public Servant
Ethics, religion, and public life affect democratic society in important ways. Walter H. Capps was a professor of religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He died on October 28, 1997, just under a year after being elected to Congress. Capps showed how religious thought and civic engagement can shape public life. This documentary introduces viewers to the life and legacy of Capps, including his view on politics and value of civic life, the impact of the Vietnam War, and the study of religion. His legacy helps explain the importance of informed public dialogue and points toward tolerance, civility, and the common good. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 41702]
3 Jul 2026
From Talking Tools to Metahumans: Social Interaction Semiotic Skill and the Authority of AI Chatbots
As chatbots trained on Large Language Models become more sophisticated, their responses can sometimes seem uncanny, as if they come from a source that is mysterious, inexplicable, or even divine. Webb Keane, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, examines what happens when people treat artificial intelligence as a kind of “metahuman.” He explains how this reflects a broader human tendency to project authority onto technologies we do not fully understand. Keane explores how that sense of authority emerges through social interaction, and how the unequal ways humans and metahumans address one another can make AI’s power feel intuitively real. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 41542]
2 Jun 2026
Religion in Motion: The Identity and World-Creating Powers of Religious Action
What does it mean to rethink religion from the ground up? University of Colorado's religious studies professor Sam Gill draws on biology, philosophy, and decades of research and dance practice to argue that we are moving, whole organisms before we are divided into mind and body. Gill proposes that humans possess a biologically enabled capacity to hold together what we know to be different as if it were the same—a dynamic that underlies the powers of metaphor, masking, dancing, ritual action, symbol, and language. Through vivid examples from Hopi initiation, Javanese shadow puppetry and dance, and Navajo prayer ceremonials, Gill shows how religious actions create worlds, identities, and enduring cultural coherence. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 41541]
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