Philosophy professor Jeff Noonan will reflect on a quarter-century of work considering the goods of human life in a free public lecture entitled “Eating, Working, Laughing: Embodied Humanist Values for the Twenty-First Century,” Thursday, Nov. 24.

He will speak on a topic that could be considered the topic: what brings value, joy, and meaning to our lives.

According to Dr. Noonan, the material problems posed by life on Earth point toward three shared forms of value:

• Life is sensuously enjoyable when our natural and social needs are satisfied.
• Life is meaningful when our work contributes to the satisfaction of other’s needs.
• Life is fulfilling when we accept that each person has a beginning and an ending and free ourselves from the desire for more than what such a finite life can provide.

Thursday’s event is presented by the Humanities Research Group as part of its Martin Wesley lecture series. It is set for 5 p.m. in the Performance Hall at the SoCA Armouries, 37 University Ave. East, and will conclude with a question-and-answer session and refreshments.

Learn more on the HRG website.