When nothing is clear, how do we decide?

Many people prefer their morality to be straightforward—right or wrong, good or bad, clear as day. But more often than not, human life is a mess of contradictions, competing values, and gray areas. In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, Rick, Leigh, and Devonya wade into the murky waters of ambiguity—what it means, how we experience it, and why we’re often so uncomfortable with it. From moral dilemmas and political rhetoric to aesthetics and queer theory, the hosts explore how ambiguity can be both a site of oppression and a tool of resistance.

Philosophy & Theory

• Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity (1947)
• Jacques Derrida, Of Grammatology (1967) 
• Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962) 
• Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (1843) 
• Hannah Arendt, The Human Condition (1958) 
• Judith Butler, Gender Trouble (1990) 

Art, Literature, & Film

• James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room (1956) 
• John Patrick Shanley, Doubt (Film) (2008)
• Diane Duane, Wizard’s Holiday (2003) 

Politics & Current Events

• J.D. Vance’s remarks on U.S. foreign policy – CNN coverage
• Necessary and Proper Clause – Legal Information Institute
• Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico – Los Angeles Times coverage

Science & Miscellaneous

• Wave-Particle Duality of Light – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Ellsberg Paradox (decision-making and ambiguity) – Investopedia Explanation