ARCHITECTURE THROUGH THE LENS Photographer Todd Eberle discusses his work focusing on the Modernist movement in art and architecture. His recently opened exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art features his cropped details of ceiling and architectural details from buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and others. A professor of architectural history at the City University of New York, Robert Twombly, provides additional commentary on Mr. Eberle’s work. Tonight, 7 p.m., Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-620-5000, $12.

AMERICAN CAPITALISM The libertarian group Junto hosts the author of the book “How Capitalism Saved America” (Crown Forum), Tom DiLorenzo, at its next meeting. Tonight, 7 p.m., General Society Library, 20 W. 44th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, free.

ELEMENTARY EVOLUTION A professor in the department of ecology and evolution at Stony Brook University, Douglas Futuyma, provides a layman’s introduction to the fundamental elements of the theory of evolution and addresses some common misconceptions. Tonight, 7 p.m., American Museum of Natural History, Kaufmann Theater, 79th Street and Central Park West, 212-769-5200, $15 general, $13.50 seniors, students, and members.

JAPANESE DESIGN Design historian Hiroshi Kashiwagi gives a lecture about how the sociopolitical climate of Japan from the 1920s to the 1940s – which combined industrialization, Westernization, and nationalism – affected the period’s design. The lecture is part of a series exploring wartime design in Japan, Britain, and America. Monday, 6 p.m., Bard Graduate Center, 38 W. 86th St., between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, 212-501-3011, $17 general, $12 seniors and students. Note: The lecture is in Japanese with English translation.

SLAVERY AND ETHICS A philosophy professor at Princeton University, Kwame Anthony Appiah,gives a lecture examining precisely why slavery was ethically wrong. “What’s Wrong With Slavery?” moves beyond descriptions of cruelty, instead exploring how slaves’ fundamental humanity was violated in the practice of slavery. The lecture is presented in conjunction with the exhibit “Slaves in New York,” which explores slavery in the beginning of the state’s history. Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West at 77th Street, 212-485-9205, $12 general, $6 members, students, teachers, and seniors.

EGYPTIAN SYNAGOGUES A writer for the Wall Street Journal, Lucette Lagnado, discusses the state of Jewish synagogues in Cairo. Ms. Lagnado, who was born in Egypt, compares the vibrant synagogues of her childhood with the comparatively empty synagogues of Egypt today. Tuesday, 8 p.m., Congregation Shearith Israel, Central Park West at 70th Street, 212-873-0300, free.

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