Matthew Restall, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History, Anthropology, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Latin American Studies, acknowledges that the name Aztec and the term liberal arts have likely never appeared together in a lecture title.

Why is that, and what could the Aztecs possibly teach us about the liberal arts? In this year’s First-Year Lecture, Professor Restall argues that we can apply scholarly methodology to challenge familiar stereotypes and reveal how Aztec culture was shaped by philosophy, history, literature, critical inquiry, and concepts of gratitude. Aztec priorities and preoccupations can thereby help us to appreciate the value—and values—of the liberal arts.

Drawing on the College of the Liberal Arts’ 2026–27 theme of Fragmentation, Restall explores what happens when our understanding of the past is reduced to disconnected pieces—and how bringing together different perspectives can deepen our understanding of cultures, societies, and the human condition.