Professor emeritus searches for ‘Human Goodness’

UW-Madison Professor Emeritus of Geography Yi-Fu Tuan will discuss his latest book, "Human Goodness" (University of Wisconsin Press), at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, at University Book Store-Hilldale, 702 N. Midvale Blvd.

Tuan, a pioneering figure in the field of humanist geography, has built his reputation by exploring the intimate, intricate connections between the landscape, community, beauty and self. His numerous path-breaking books include "Topophilia," "Passing Strange and Wonderful," "The Good Life" and "Who Am I?" He has been heralded by historian Simon Schama as "one of the most remarkable and creative forces in the intellectual life of our time."

In his new book, Tuan explores our capacity for moral reasoning and asks a seemingly simple question: What does it mean to be good? His answer is as surprising as it is profound. Genuinely good people and their actions, Tuan contends, are far from boring, naive and trite; they are complex, varied and enormously exciting. He writes of ordinary human courtesies, as simple as busing your dishes after eating, that make society functional and livable. And he writes of extraordinary courage and inventiveness under the weight of adversity and evil. He considers the impact of communal goodness over time, and his sketches of six very different individuals — Confucius, Socrates, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John Keats, Albert Schweitzer and Simone Weil — confirm that there are human lives that can encourage and lead us to our better selves.

This event is free and open to the public.