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Past Events
Where Should Moral Philosophy Begin? by Avram Hiller (Portland State University)
How should one live? Why be moral? These questions are commonly used as the points of departure for moral theorizing. Although they are of course deeply important, I argue that they misdirect moral theory. First, they focus primarily on agents—ones who act—rather than those who are acted upon. Second, they concern agents as individuals rather than collectives. I discuss how the individualistic agent-centered approach has had a distorting effect on moral theory, and propose an alternative methodology focusing on those affected by actions and institutions.
3:30-5:00PM PST
“Collective Distraction” by Ege Yumuşak (University of Pennsylvania)
Consider a society with vast income and wealth inequality—a society that has an overclass that enjoys tremendous riches and an underclass that suffers from abject conditions. Despite your belief in free speech in the public sphere, you might think something is wrong with this particular issue consuming so much collective attention in such a society. Should the public not be concerned with its failure to distribute its resources fairly? Many would share this intuition. Yet, it is hard to specify what is wrong with putting the question “Should the government fund space tourism?” up for public debate. I attribute this hardship to political epistemologists’ undue focus on the doxastic realm and their subsequent blindness to the zetetic realm. Epistemically speaking, the standard view of political speech classifies questions as mere requests for information. I argue against this account of questions and present a way in which we can effectively undermine the idea that questions are epistemically innocent. I use this account to unmask the epistemic defect of further questions raised in the public sphere, such as “How will the government pay for a national healthcare plan?” or “Why has socialism failed everywhere it’s been tried?”
3:30-5:00PM PST
“The Law of Humanity and Kinship”: An Emergence of Human Rights and Religious Liberty in the Divine Institutes of Lactantius by Daniel Kimmel (Lewis & Clark College)
Join Professor Daniel J. Kimmel as they trace the ancient emergence of concepts of religion, humanity, and religious liberty in the Divine Institutes of Lactantius. Kimmel will explore Lactantius’ “institutes” and thoughts on religion and humanity, giving clarity not only to the 4th century text but also modern day.
3:30-5:00PM PST
