Episode 194
Recorded January 28 2026
Broadcast February 8, 2026
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Everything that matters to us disappears eventually, whether it’s a beloved painting or a story passed down for generations. We buy, invent, and create stuff to replace it all, but some of it is worth saving, right? If so, which ones? A lot of it is disposable but we want some of it to be around for future generations because we think it’s important, or meaningful, or will connect the past and future in unique and valuable ways. On this episode, we explore which of our possessions and commitments deserve our attention and what the best ways to protect them might be.
Erich Hatala Matthes is a Professor of Philosophy at Wellesley College. He is the author of two books, Drawing the Line: What to Do with the Work of Immoral Artists from Museums to the Moviesand the more recent, What to Save and Why: Identity, Authenticity, and the Ethics of Conservation, both published by Oxford University Press.
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