This seminar offered three films directed by David Lean (The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Dr. Zhivago,) as “just so stories” about the nature of context when creating and appropriating value. These films ask: What is valuable? Who is value being created for? Is the value created “valuable” to those it is intended to be of value to? When value is created, who actually appropriates this value? And, more broadly, does agency matter? What is the value of having a purpose in the broader context of other purposes?

During the seminar, professor Gartner played with William James’ Varieties of Religious Experience as one entry point into discussing the nature of purpose as it relates to agency and the intention to create value. It was not required that participants read this book as preparation for the seminar, but it was recommended to watch the three films (or at least one of the three) with the purpose of answering the aforementioned questions. This enhanced the participants' ability to contribute to the discussion.