On the very first day of the fall semester, Robsham Theatre was packed with first-year Carroll School of Management students all about to find out the answer to the question 鈥渨hat does a comedy writer have to say about ethics?鈥�
The 2026 Forum on Ethics featured Emmy Award-winning television writer, director, and producer Michael Schur鈥攂est known for creating shows like Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine Nine as well as The Good Place, which was inspired by his interest in philosophy.
Michael Schur at the 2026 Forum on Ethics.
Each fall, the Forum on Ethics brings to campus speakers across industries to share their observations on ethics in their business. This year, the forum was cosponsored by the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics and the Portico Program, the Carroll School鈥檚 signature first-year ethics class.
Moderated by Portico Professor Amy LaCombe, the event got off to a rousing start when LaCombe asked if Schur would offer any advice to his 18-year-old-self, the same age of many of the audience members. 鈥淚 think an essential part of being 18 is being a moron and screwing everything up in your life,鈥� came his quick reply, setting off an eruption of laughter across the room. 鈥淪o I don't think I would go back and try to stop myself from making the mistakes that I made, because that's how you learn鈥攜ou screw stuff up,鈥� added Schur, who met and spoke with the Portico Program TAs, all Carroll School upperclassmen, before the forum.
For the next hour, Schur used his irreverent sense of humor and a clear deep appreciation of philosophical concepts to extoll the lessons he learned from his time across the river as a Harvard undergrad, in comedy writing rooms, showrunning leading sitcoms, and writing his New York Times-bestselling book , an accessible, comedic introduction to philosophical arguments on morality.
Schur started taking an interest in philosophy in 2005, but it would be another decade before he wrote The Good Place. 鈥淚 spent 10 years slowly stewing in a giant bowl of soup, not consciously thinking 鈥榟ow can I make this into a TV show?鈥� but caring about the ideas,鈥� Schur said. 鈥淭hat show came directly out of this, comparatively speaking, late in life interest in the subject.鈥�
Robsham Theatre was packed with first-year Carroll School of Management students all about to find out the answer to the question 鈥渨hat does a comedy writer have to say about ethics?鈥�
During the Q&A, one young man asked Schur to elaborate on how his time on the business side of Hollywood has been colored by his interest in ethics and philosophy.
鈥淚 rarely look at anything that happens in the world without pausing to reflect on how I filter this through an ethical or philosophical lens,鈥� he explained, adding that when he鈥檚 designing a character for a new show, philosophy has become yet another tool in his toolbelt. 鈥淚 can ask, 鈥榠s this person Kantian?鈥� They might never say anything on screen that would lead even a Portico graduate to understand that's what's going on, but you'd be able to tell based on their actions where they fall on the spectrum of Western philosophy.鈥�
He went on to say that he constantly feels the impact of these philosophical lessons as a showrunner, especially when it comes to management. 鈥淒ecision making, the calculation of human resources, and how to talk to people鈥攅specially people who are significantly younger than I am鈥攊t definitely changed my understanding of human interaction, and for the better,鈥� Schur continued. 鈥淚 am so grateful that I stumbled into [philosophy]. It's been the gift that keeps on giving.鈥�
And what was his best advice for all these students just starting college?
Moderator and Portico Professor Amy LaCombe with Michael Schur.
鈥淲e have to share bits of carpet with each other,鈥� Schur said, referencing a speech from the original British version of The Office (Schur was a writer and producer for the American version of The Office, and played the character Mose). 鈥淚f we're all siloed off and we never are standing on the same carpet with someone we actively dislike or who annoys us or receives the world differently than we do, we will never advance. We'll never learn anything. We'll never get better at interacting. All ethics to me is negotiating the thousands of little moments that you walk around the earth and bump into people in ways big and small.鈥�
The Forum on Ethics kicked off the 20th anniversary season programming for the Winston Center of Leadership and Ethics. Before wrapping up the evening, LaCombe shared that Schur had graciously donated his speaking fee back to Boston College as he couldn鈥檛 see himself taking money for talking about ethics to ethics students.
In his parting remarks, Schur wished the assembled students good luck in their Boston College journey and expressed that he especially appreciated 鈥渢he fact that you have chosen, as part of your education, to think about ethics and being good people.鈥� He said, 鈥淭hat is what will save us.鈥�
