UNC Parr Center for Ethics

The Parr Center is a focal point for ethical inquiry and discussion at @UNC and beyond. Home and HQ of the National High School #EthicsBowl (#NHSEB).

[TED-Ed @TED_ED]

Should we replace politicians with randomly selected people?

Dig into sortition, a system where officials are selected via lottery, and how it could address problems facing modern democracies: https://t.co/PGXPMk3gww

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

What if elections are actually the least democratic part of democracy?

In this TED-Ed lesson, Michael Vazquez (UNC) traces the idea back to Ancient Athens, where lotteries were the norm.

And yet, would it still count as "democracy" without elections?

https://t.co/qXN1yaNkNG

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

Thank you to all who joined our Spring 2026 Speaker Series, and to Elizabeth Harman, Anya Plutynski, and Holden Thorp, for leading engaging ethics discussions this term. Stay tuned for more opportunities to learn and engage at the Parr Center next semester!

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

Join Dr. Teresa Bejan of @UniofOxford this week for a symposium on the history and meaning of equality, drawing from her forthcoming book "First Among Equals".

Free and open to all. No registration required.

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

Join us this month for the remaining Educating for the Virtues of Attention (EVA) events! Take a break from the scroll and invest in your attention.

RSVP: https://t.co/yRUQTVQcdP

[Alex Guerrero @Alex_A_Guerrero]

This is a wonderful TED-Ed video on sortition and lottocracy. Love the animation!

#lottocracy #sortition

Could lotteries replace elections? - Michael Vazquez https://t.co/nVi0GeVbxJ via @YouTube

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

Join us on April 9 for an engaging conversation on the history, ethics, and policy of animal research.

This event is free and open to the public, with a reception to follow. CLE credit and Parr Ethics Scholar credit are both available!

[Inside Higher Ed @insidehighered]

Opinion | The Real ‘Diploma Divide’ Is About Identity, Not Beliefs

The familiar narrative that colleges are fueling a growing divide in political beliefs is not backed up by the data. But something else consequential has changed. https://t.co/Bv6B2JcsDP

[TED-Ed @TED_ED]

Are we taught how to be good people? And does your upbringing affect your moral responsibility for your actions?

Puzzle through this infamous ethical dilemma and decide: https://t.co/0ePpbWOMxg

[TED-Ed @TED_ED]

NEW VIDEO: Should we replace politicians with randomly selected people?

Dig into sortition, a system where officials are selected via lottery, and how it could address problems facing modern democracies: https://t.co/UKusUNgzqs

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

Two weeks ago, we kicked off our Deep Reading Club on Lucretius at Epilogue Books on Franklin Street. The gathering is one small part of a larger semester of events through Educating for the Virtues of Attention (EVA). Learn more: https://t.co/yRUQTVQcdP

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

LOCATION UPDATE‼️ Tomorrow’s event will now take place in Chapman Hall, Room 201.

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

Join us for the final event of our Spring 2026 Speaker Series: Parr Center Presents Holden Thorp (Editor-in-Chief, Science). Light refreshments will be served at 6:30 and CLE credit will be offered!

#ParrCenterPresents #SpeakerSeries

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

Join us for the final event of our Spring 2026 Speaker Series: Parr Center Presents Holden Thorp (Editor-in-Chief, Science). Light refreshments will be served at 6:30 and CLE credit will be offered!

#ParrCenterPresents #SpeakerSeries

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

Join us next week for the two-day Parr Center/IZEW Tübingen Workshop on AI, Ethics, and Education. CLE and Ethics Scholar make-up credit is available for attending featured talks. Visit the link in our bio to learn more!

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

Join us on 2/20 for an Ethics Around the Table session with 2026 Polanyi Visiting Lecturer Anya Plutynski​ of @WashU! Prof. Plutynski​ will explore psychiatric diagnosis and the Rumpelstiltskin Effect, asking whether this phenomenon is placebo, or, in some cases, a “nocebo.”

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

If we want to resist the ill effects of the attention economy, we need the right habits of mind and community supports.

The Parr Center for Ethics is leading a growing coalition across UNC to help students cultivate these vital "attentional virtues."

https://t.co/JhXxJxNM5w

[TED-Ed @TED_ED]

NEW VIDEO: Are we taught how to be good people? And does your upbringing affect your moral responsibility for your actions?

Puzzle through this infamous ethical dilemma and decide: https://t.co/DKT03XDRf0

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

Join us next week for the Annual Parr|Bioethics Joint Lecture featuring Elizabeth Harman of @Princeton! This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served at 6:30 & CLE credit will be offered!

#ParrCenterforEthics #SpeakerSeries

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

The Parr Center’s Spring 2026 Speaker Series is here!🎉Join us for a series of free lectures featuring leading voices in ethics and beyond. All are welcome to attend!

Visit our website to learn more: https://t.co/W2iGbHpaIT

#SpeakerSeries #ParrCenterforEthics

[UNC Parr Center for Ethics @theparrcenter]

The Fall 2025 Speaker Series was a great success! Thank you to the scholars who led thought-provoking lectures and meaningful ethical discussion with our students and the Chapel Hill community. Your perspectives and energy made this semester’s series truly special! #SpeakerSeries