My story
I discovered the joys of liberal education as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago in the 1990s thanks to teachers who embodied the Socratic dictum that an unexamined life is not worth living. As a teacher, I strive to live up to the models they set for me and to awaken my own students to the joys of an examined life.
For nearly thirty years, I have traveled the world studying and teaching throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East and India. With students of all ages, I work through philosophical, literary, and religious texts to gain insight into how to live a flourishing life together with other human beings.
Learn with me
Contact me to learn about upcoming online classes, travel & study trips, or to propose a tutorial topic
I am looking for curious people to read and think with. All my courses are live and limited in size. And I offer courses for all ages since I enjoy discussing ideas that matter with anyone interested in thinking: from junior high students to retired professionals. All you need to bring to a seminar is curiosity and a willingness to engage others with respect and an open mind.
My interests range across the entirety of the humanities, from antiquity to the present. If there is a particular book or subject that interests you, let me know—maybe we can organize a course around it.
“Aaron was an amazing teacher—he was receptive to everyone’s opinions but also probed us. He understood the texts extremely well and guided us to deeper insights.”
“This deep and broad analysis runs barely over 100 pages. I learned more from it than I do from most books five times as long.”
“Cultural criticism of the highest caliber.”
My writing
Writing helps me expand the reach of my teaching. In my most recent book, The Idols of ISIS: From Assyria to the Internet, I reflect on an Islamic State video of antiquities destruction that went viral in order to think about the role images play in our political lives and what underlies the impulse to destroy them. Calling on a wide range of sources—from ancient palace reliefs and medieval Islamic philosophy to the history of the modern museum and the algorithms that power social media—the book seeks to guide readers on the path to thinking afresh about the images that surround us and define our political worlds.
“I would absolutely recommend taking any class with Aaron.”
