Ezra A. Hale Chair
in Applied Ethics
Φ Course offerings for
the next few years
Some External
Philosophy Sites
Dept mailing address:
Department of Philosophy
College of Liberal Arts
Rochester Institute of
Technology
92 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester NY 14623-5604
Webmaster:
dbsgsh@rit.edu
Copyright ©2008–2011
Department of Philosophy,
Rochester Institute of Technology
Coming Events
Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public.
P L A T O Meets Fridays 3:00 – 5:00 Next meeting: See more about PLATO at |
Pablo Muchnik “Politics and Religion in Kant” Liberalism has accustomed us to consider religion as an eminently private matter, something to be kept within the confines of one’s own sciences and abandoned when entering the public square. This view is usually associated with a certain conception of the Enlightenment as a strictly secularizing project. Although it is tempting to trace these views to Kant, I will argue that such temptation must be resisted, for it seriously misconstrues the Kantian position. As an offshoot of his reflections on radical evil, Kant realized that politics alone fell irremediably short of transforming people’s moral dispositions. One could be a good cirtizen but an evil human being—and this left open an ineliminable space for religion to strengthen the precarious basis upon which we try, in vain, to build our polities. Without religion, Kant thought, there was no hope to overcome the antagonistic dynamics of our social relations. War, oppression, cruelty, greed and the litany of violent passions that tear our soul apart are sure signs that liberal theorists have ignored the Kantian lesson at too high a price. Sponsored by the Hale Chair in Applied Ethics |
Evelyn Brister “Climate Science and Policy Advocacy: Positivist philosophy drew a sharp distinction between statements about values (ethics and politics) and statements about fact (science). For most of the twentieth century, common wisdom among scientists, philosophers, and politicians was that only constrained, well-defined scientific advisory positions were legitimate, and as a result these were open to only a few scientists. Science was considered an autonomous enterprise which ought to be insulated from political action for the good of both science and policy. But in recent decades, the consensus among philosophers of science has shifted away from drawing a sharp distinction between descriptive science and prescriptive policy-making and toward a greater recognition that scientific work is informed by both facts and values. In this talk I examine examples of scientists who have engaged in policy advocacy related to climate change and consider which criteria distinguish the controversial from the non-controversial cases. Sponsored by the Hale Chair in Applied Ethics |
|
Conference: Keynote speaker: Katja Vogt Speakers, titles, times and rooms TBA. Call for Papers: The RIT Philosophy Department invites papers that address any topic on or related to Epictetus and Stoicism, including, but not limited to: happiness, tranquility, detachment, reason, fate, volition, agency, what is (and is not) under our control, our moral purpose, virtue, cosmic order, divine providence, death, the Stoic sage, Epictetus as teacher, influence of earlier thinkers on Epictetus, Epictetus’s influence on later thinkers (including writers of our own time), the “practical” philosophy of Stoicism, and comparisons and contrasts with other traditions (such as Buddhism, Epicureanism, Christianity). Submission Deadline: January 15, 2012. Papers should be 4,500–5,500 words in length (35–40 minutes reading time), and prepared for blind-review. Please submit full papers as email attachments to (and direct inquires to): David.Suits@rit.edu. |
|
Wade Robison “Global Warming and Decisions in Doubt” When we make decisions in situations of uncertainty, we make some assumptions about the risk and magnitude of potential harm. We are far more cautious when we see a loaded gasoline tanker truck wandering back and forth across the center line as it comes towards us than we are with normal traffic: the magnitude of potential harm is great, and so we act to minimize the risk of an accident. The same sort of decision-making ought to inform decisions about how to respond to the threat of global warming. Sponsored by the Hale Chair in Applied Ethics |
|
3rd R.I.T. Undergraduate Philosophy Conference Keynote Speaker: “Why Philosophy, Dude?” Call for papers Submissions prepared for blind review Dr. Lawrence Torcello Queries? Contact: Lindsey Johnson at lmj1374@rit.edu |
For further information on upcoming events, contact
Professor John Capps, Chair
Department of Philosophy
Email: jmcgsh@rit.edu
Office: Liberal Arts 1309
Phone: (585) 475-2464