After Dinner Conversation

Who is in the best situation to understand the just punishment for a crime? To what extent should crimes of youth carry lifetime stigmas? In this work of ethical fiction, Rory is the middle-school bully. The focus of this bully is on taking naked pictures with his cell phone of other boys in the locker room, then using those photos to blackmail them into getting, and giving him, nude photos of their girlfriends. This is exactly what he does to get nude photos of Elizabeth. He then blackmails Elizabeth with those photos for sexual favors. His plan would have gone smoothly enough (again) except one of Elizabeth’s failed suiters (Travis) overheard the plan and told the police. The police used his testimony to get a search warrant and a prosecution. Rory is sentenced to four years in juvenile detention and lifetime status as a sex offender. Years, and a Ph.D. in philosophy later, Travis isn’t entirely sure he made the right decision by coming forward.

Can philosophical inquiry give us meaning in life? In this philosophical short story, the narrator holds a season ticket for the local professional soccer team, which isn't very good. He sits next to Angus, an elderly man who takes care of his wife with dementia and gets a little bit of free time for himself. After the local team scores, the narrator feels something he's never felt before: the futility of the whole experience. Angus diagnoses this as an existential crisis that might be resolved with words, specifically the words of philosophers. Thus, during each game of the season, Angus teaches the narrator about a different philosophical theory. However, one day Angus doesn't show up to the match. The narrator goes to Angus's house and finds out that, according to his wife's wishes, Angus killed her and then killed himself. The narrator then spreads Angus's ashes across the soccer pitch.

What is the root cause of political polarization? In this philosophical short story, Professor Gault is having a rough day. His graduate-level class on the growing polarization in politics is just as heated and polarized as the subject they're discussing. He thinks his students are the bugs trapped in the web of rhetoric, instead of being the spider. In a daze after class, a strange woman strikes up a conversation with him and presents an alternate theory. Perhaps, she argues, the underlying foundation of our time is narcissism. Maybe politics is just fertile ground for those who want to feel like gods in a fantasy world of their own creation, where only they can fight the eternal battle of good versus evil. Perhaps polarization isn't genuine, but merely the result of narcissists attempting to wage epic battles to avoid realizing that, outside of the world they've imagined, they don't really matter.

Do right and wrong actions change depending on how the recipient perceives them? Should you help someone who clearly needs it but will resent you for doing so? In this philosophical short story, John boards a train full of commuters and a rowdy group of teenage boys. When he makes eye contact with the teens, they turn their attention to him. Just before a fight breaks out, an Englishman nearby intervenes and asks the youth to stop. The teens turn on the Englishman and viciously beat him before leaving. While the other passengers tend to the Englishman, John's sympathy for him turns to anger when he realizes the Englishman's cowardice in the situation.

To what extent should we judge the questionable decisions of those suffering from emotional trauma? In this philosophical short story fiction, the narrator’s mother worked in a factory when she was in her twenties. The factory manager, Terry shocks the factory employees when he announced his child has leukemia and he would very much appreciate any employees who would test if they were a stem cell transplant match. The narrator’s mother, along with most of the employees, volunteer to be tested. Time passes and, over the Christmas holiday, everyone gets drunk. Terry’s mother leaves with Terry and sleeps with him. Although she has no memory of the affair, her friend confirms she was overtly flirting with Terry man at least 20 years her senior. She reports the incident to human relations and Terry is reprimanded, but not fired. Word gets out and the narrator’s mother is ostracized by the other employees to the point she goes on leave for mental health reasons. Months pass and match results come back, she is a match. Terry (and his wife) plead for her to save their child’s life, but she refuses, and the child dies.

Is it possible to overcome societal pressures and interact genuinely with neighbors? In this philosophical short story, an elderly white woman who lives as a minority in a predominantly black neighborhood is targeted with a urine-filled water balloon in front of her home. The message is clear: she is no longer welcome in this racially charged environment. Zion, the young black boy who lives next door, has known her his entire life and they have been friends. He has helped her with small chores around the house. Zion advises her to leave the neighborhood. As time passes, Zion visits less frequently, and eventually returns the pile of sweaters she had knitted for him over the years. A "good metaphor," she says. This story is a part of our legacy-of-excellence program, first printed in After Dinner Conversation - December, 2020 issue.

Is it better for people to be free, or made equal? In this philosophical dystopian short story, society is divided into two groups: the American Political Union (APU) and the Old American Republic (OAR). The narrator, a highly intelligent young woman, lives in the APU, a society where it is impossible to judge someone based on their race, gender, occupation, or ability. Although she enjoys living in a world where everyone is equal, she yearns to be recognized for her academic talents. Her best friend, BLE, is not as gifted in academics. Together, they decide to cross the border and live in the OAR, where they can be more appreciated for their abilities. They succeed but find that being judged is not always as pleasant or fair as they expected. The narrator is eventually recruited for her academic abilities to help bring down the wall that separates the two societies, allowing for the free flow of people across borders. This story is a part of our legacy-of-excellence program, first printed in After Dinner Conversation - December, 2020 issue.

Besides “being in love” and procreation, what is the purpose/function of a spouse? In this work of ethical marriage fiction, Sherry’s husband knows too much about her inner thoughts, specifically, that the barista at the local coffee shop is attractive. When Sherry talks to her neighbor, they piece together that she was unknowingly given a M.I.N.D. implant, allowing her husband to read her thoughts. She confronts him and he argues communication is hard, and this makes it easier. Additionally, if she has nothing to hide, then why does she care? In response, she gets a “mind vault” installed, a place to store thoughts and memories from her husband. He finds out, and goes to even more extreme measures to make Sherry compliant.

To what extent is the person who triggers a downward spiral, as opposed to the surrounding situations that make it likely, responsible? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, an aged Jaime gets a letter from Fred, asking him to come visit before his pending death. Decades earlier Jaime courted a shy Fred at the local pool, where, after many months, they started Fred’s first homosexual relationship. After the relationship ended, Fred starting drinking more often. Years later, after decades of drinking and a divorce from his wife, he is dying. Jaime goes to visit him, but it’s too late, he is already dead. Jaime is left to wonder, to what extent was he the trigger for this downward spiral?

What ethical obligations does a buyer have to make a seller that is aware of the true value of the thing they are selling? In this work of philosophical contract law short story fiction, Mel, a long-time customer of Kathy’s, enters Kathy’s shop on one of the last days before she closes the shop down to retire. While in the shop Mel spots a rare, and very valuable brooch. Kathy clearly doesn’t understand its value and opts to give it to Mel as a parting gift. Mel insists on paying, but Kathy refuses and Mel leaves with the brooch. Mel then takes the brooch to a specialist and sells it for $35,000, but is left wondering if she owes Kathy and of the money from the windfall?

Is there anything wrong with having a nearly perfect life with a world that seems to revolve around your needs? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jerry feels special; like the world revolves around him and meeting his needs. And his life story tends to support this. His entire life is trouble free, no economic issues, no family issues, and an early retirement. An entire life of ease. His college professor tells him he’s a solipsist, but he believes he’s just a sociopath. It hard matters. Sure, he tends to believe that those around him cease to exist when they are not around him, but that’s normal, right? Life is wonderful, without change, focused on himself, forever.

What is the essence of heaven? If you had to pick a single moment in your life to spend eternity in as your personal heaven, would you do it, and what moment would you pick? In this philosophical short story fiction, the narrator, in a semi-dream state, watches a bit of a late-night movie where the main character dies, goes to heaven, and must work with the bureaucrats of heaven to pick the moment in their lives they would like to live in forever as their personal heaven. This idea germinates in the narrator’s mind and she is forced to weight various moments in her life in an attempt to pick what her perfect heavenly moment would be.

If you know God exists, have actual proof, do you still have “faith?” In this work of philosophical short fiction, William gets a strange messages and heads over to visit his friend Thomas, who explains God came to him in a dream. Moreover, God left him proof of his existence, a floating object on a pedestal that, according to Thomas, defies all laws of physics. Thomas declares this floating object a miracle, William is less sure. Thomas says he took it to the local University to investigate and they were unable to find a cause to the floating object. Assuming, Thomas says, the floating object is a miracle, does that mean all of religion is true? Is there a heaven and hell, a God that commands, and absolute right and wrong? After additional discussion, William is interested, but still unsure. Note: This story is a part of our legacy-of-excellence program. It was first printed in After Dinner Conversation - November, 2020 issue.

Is the desire to find purpose paramount to culture? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, a priest from earth is sent to another planet to continuing the mission work of his predecessor. The planet is inhabited by “teddies” a people with a deep spiritual faith and a belief that it is only by finding and performing one’s life purpose can they serve God’s role. Those that are unable to find their purpose are willingly put to death so that, according to their belief system, they can be reincarnated and make a new attempt at finding their purpose. The visiting human religious leader is appalled by this religious belief, and the religious culture. He goes against the community by helping those that a poor and hungry.Note; This story is a part of our legacy-of-excellence program. It was first printed in After Dinner Conversation - December, 2020 issue.