The Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) elected theme for 2004 was Time. The theme was chosen in recognition of CHF’s 15th anniversary in 2004, a milestone that the organization hopes to celebrate in a variety of ways. Programs examined time’s pervasive and enduring impact on humankind’s institutions, behaviors, passions, and beliefs.

The notion of TIME has fascinated and puzzled humankind since its earliest beginnings. Our understanding of time, however limited it might be, has shaped our values and pursuits throughout our development as a species. Concepts of time differ through eras and across cultures. Time’s persistence feeds our urge to recover the past and envision the future. And it gives structure—and poignancy—to our moments, our days, and our lives. Festival XV: Time, October 30-November 14, 2004.

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