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. Tonight, 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. Tonight, 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.

RENAISSANCE MEN New Yorker staff writer Jeffrey Goldberg, author Douglas Rushkoff, and poet Rodger Kamenetz participate in a discussion about “the closing of the Jewish mind.” They ask whether, in an era when professions are becoming increasingly specialized, people – including Jews – still take pride in being broadly cultured and widely read. Novelist and law professor Thane Rosenbaum moderates. Tonight, 8 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, $20.

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. Tonight, 8 p.m., Congregation Shearith Israel, Central Park West at 70th Street, 212-873-0300, free.

ONLINE ART Multimedia artist Ursula Endlicher discusses her work as part of the series IMHO. The evening begins with a presentation of her work, which blends performance, installation, and online art. Her most recent piece, “Famous for One Spam,” finds a new use for the vast quantities of junk e-mails that clog most inboxes. The presentation is followed by a discussion with Ms. Endlicher. Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Location One, 26 Greene St., between Grand and Canal streets, 212-334-3347, free.

LIVES IN JAZZ The discussion series Harlem Speaks kicks off its new season with a conversation with bassist Christian McBride. Mr. McBride has collaborated with Sting, Kathleen Battle, Al Jarreau, and many others over the course of his jazz career. Coming up in the series: drummer Rudy Lawless (January 26),tuba player Howard Johnson (February 9), and Paul Robeson Jr., who will discuss his father’s legacy as a singer, actor, and activist (February 23). Thursday, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Jazz Museum in Harlem, 104 E. 126th St., between Park and Lexington avenues, 212-348-8300, free.

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