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Evaluating Bad Theology And Making A Case For The Ethical Priority Of Religious Diversity In Tolkien Studies, Nick Polk

Journal of Tolkien Research

Presented at Oxonmoot in 2024, the aim of this paper is to present a selection of theological Tolkien criticisms for the purpose of evaluating them through practical theologian Leah Robinson’s definition of bad theology. The point is argued that bad theology in Tolkien Studies needs to be identified and understood as unethical and replaced with the openness of theologian John Thatamanil’s criteria for religious diversity. Concluding will be a promotion of religious diversity as an ethical priority and evaluative tool for future theological engagements within Tolkien Studies.

Marshaling A Triumph: The Park Chung Hee Era, Developmental State Theory, And The Meaning Of Success In South Korea, Kevin Hockmuth

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

South Korea has long been looked to as a model of developmental success. Undoubtedly, South Korean society has experienced a remarkable expansion of wealth, social well-being, and technological capacity over the last half-century. The central turning point in this momentous transformation coincided with the authoritarian rule of Park Chung Hee (1961-1979). As such, scholars of political economy and development have paid close attention to the various facets of his regime to glean the primary causes underpinning South Korea’s developmental feats. The most significant of these efforts have emerged from works emphasizing the role of the South Korean developmental state. This …

A New Look At The Debate Between Confucian Soft-Power And Legalist Hard-Power Statecrafts And Its Contemporary Significance, Shirong Luo

Comparative Philosophy

In recent years, comparative scholars and commentators have attempted to find ways to best characterize the opposition between Confucianism and Legalism. For example, it has been argued that Confucianism exemplifies “idealism”, whereas Legalism is a version of “realism” and that their dispute can be construed as a clash between the broader philosophical frameworks of idealism and realism. While casting these opposing political philosophies as such can shed some light on the differences between the two schools of classical Chinese philosophy, these conceptual labels are too broad to capture their fundamental differences, which in my view are their different understandings of …

Confucianism Embodied: An “Interdisciplinary” Approach To Comparative Political Theory, Qi Jing

Comparative Philosophy

This article articulates and defends an “interdisciplinary” approach to Confucian political theory and presents Confucianism as a living, dynamic entity rather than merely a reservoir of ideas contained within a set of texts. It argues for a methodology that transcends traditional textual analysis, advocating for an intersectional approach that melds normative, emancipatory, and practical dimensions. This approach seeks to capture the evolving essence of Confucianism as influenced by cultural, institutional, and individual interactions. It also promotes a “distant reading” to examine not only texts and historical debates but also institutional changes, power dynamics, and guiding principles within Confucianized societies. The …

Righteousness Versus Yi: Two Senses Of Justice, Cuiting Chen

Comparative Philosophy

The narratives of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac in the Old Testament and Shun’s renunciation of the throne to save his father, who had committed a crime in Meng-Zi, have had a profound influence on Western and Chinese culture. The two stories are widely known and referenced due to their cultural significance, which is evident in various artistic, literary, religious, and philosophical forms. While the two narratives may be viewed as murder and corruption from a universal ethical standpoint, historical traditions interpret them differently. Abraham’s actions are revered as the epitome of righteousness, while Shun’s actions exemplify the most appropriate ( …

Module: Ai And Value-Neutrality, Jonathan Auyer Ph.D., Department Of Philosophy

Artificial Intelligence, 2024-25

Artificial Intelligence is on the tips of everyone’s tongues these days – What exactly is it? What will can it be used for? What will it be used for in the future? What problems will it create or solve or exacerbate? This learning module aims to look at a specific facet of AI — the issue of value-neutrality — by having students look inward at capabilities necessary for human flourishing and then ask whether AI can cultivate (or inhibit) those capabilities. This will lead to a discussion of what values underlie AI and what this says about whether or not …

Using Ai In Higher Ed: Is It Cheating?, David Levy Associate Professor & Chair Of Philosophy

Artificial Intelligence, 2024-25

Students generate a course-based or college-wide policy regarding the use of Generative AI, based on assigned readings, discussion, practice using the tools on writing assignments.

The 17th Century Legacy Of Neo-Stoic Ethics, James Mackey

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Justus Lipsius was a 16th -century renaissance humanist and literary scholar who, crucially for the history of philosophy, was involved in the publication and reinterpretation of Stoic thought, primarily focusing on the works of Seneca. Despite a fair amount of scholarship on Lipsius’s contribution to the history of philosophy, the role of Stoicism in the early to mid-17th century is still not well understood. In this thesis I show, through close examination of Lipsius’s work, that Neo-Stoic ethics in the 17th century amounts to a view about the relationship between providence and human actions. After identifying ways that Stoic philosophy …

Solidarity Building In A Structurally Unjust World, Emily T. Cichocki

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis focuses on structural injustice and political solidarity in resistance to structural injustice. The first article grapples with the tension between complicity in structural injustice and political solidarity in resistance to injustice. I explore how complicity in structural injustice can inhibit the conditions needed for a meaningful sense of political solidarity. However, given that it is not realistic to eliminate all complicity in structural injustice, I argue that solidarity requires that we reckon with complicity and offer an account of what this involves. The second article focuses on Iris Marion Young’s practical concern that interpreting our responsibility for structural …

Presentations Of Value: Evaluative Outlooks And Practical Reason, Michael Ebling

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I argue for an evaluative outlook account of human practical reason by developing a viable representational psychology that vindicates the following key claims. First, some mental states are evaluative representations with ineliminably evaluative representational content. Second, any successful explanation of a rational action must appeal to evaluative representations. Third, many evaluative representations are products of subrational processes and capacities. Fourth, in humans evaluative representations function to be elements in an overall evaluative understanding. And fifth, evaluative representations by nature have motivational efficacy. In addition to these five foundational claims, I add two more speculative points. Some evaluative …

Norms And Variance Fail To Predict Butterfly Effects On Social Dynamics By Idiosyncratic Individuals, Stephen F. Stringham, Lynn Rogers, Ann Bryant

Animal Sentience

Adaptations and adjustments to current environmental conditions are manifest in behavioral norms. Knowing norms facilitates population-level prediction, but doesn’t predict individual behavior where idiosyncrasies might trigger “butterfly effects." Knowledge of individual quirks is particularly important for risk assessment and management during close encounters between humans and potentially lethal wildlife, including bears (Ursus spp.). Innovative foraging techniques can alter population vigor and viability. Traits at the tails of a bell curve might hold the greatest potential for adapting to environmental change.

Kantian Reason & Epistemic Humility, Elias Seeman

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Immanuel Kant continues to be one of the most influential thinkers in the history of philosophy. His thought shapes much of contemporary culture and has dramatically influenced Christian philosophy and theology. While some of this influence is beneficial, there are components of Kantian thought – especially as it pertains to the capabilities of human reason to arrive at true knowledge of God – that are decidedly problematic. In this paper, two different readings on Kant’s work on this subject are presented, followed by a brief overview of key insights and shortcomings. The final section charts a positive way forward for …

Strategic Justice, Conventions, And Game Theory: Introduction To A Synthese Topical Collection, Michael Moehler, John Thrasher

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Evolutionary, game-theoretic approaches to justice and the social contract have become increasingly popular in contemporary moral and political philosophy. (Vanderschraaf, Strategic justice: convention and problems of balancing divergent interests, Oxford University Press, 2019) theory of strategic justice represents the most recent contribution to this tradition and, in many ways, can be viewed as a culmination of it. This article discusses some of the central features of Vanderschraaf’s theory and relates them to the contributions in this collection. Some of the contributions directly address Vanderschraaf’s work, while others explore related topics in game theory, bargaining theory, formal philosophy, rationality, equality, justice, …

Echoes Of Eden In Proverbs: Towards A Biblical Theological Ethic, Armen Oganessian

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

Abstract:

This study argues for a biblical-theological approach to the ethics of Proverbs. It proposes that the ethical foundation for Proverbs lies in the principles established in Genesis 1-4 The argument unfolds as follows: Tracing the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants, one sees Solomon, the author of Proverbs, as a partial fulfillment of the promised seed in Genesis 3:15. Furthermore, other biblical writers depict Solomon as an Adamic king ruling in an Eden-like context. Consequently, understanding Proverbs' position within redemptive history encourages readers to interpret it through an Edenic framework. In other words, a biblical-theological approach compels readers to interpret Proverbs …

Wildlife Conservation: The Importance Of Individual Personality Traits And Sentience, Karen A. Owens, Gosia Bryja, Marc Bekoff

Animal Sentience

Individual differences in personality types within the same species have been studied much less than differences between species and populations. Personality differences are related to risk-taking and exploration, which in turn correlate with individuals' daily responses, decisions, and fitness. Bold and shy personality types can have different advantages and disadvantages under different social or environmental pressures. Analyzing personality differences has helped clarify how elk habituate to a well-populated area and how management strategies can be adapted to them. For wolves newly repatriated to Colorado, individual personality factors are likely to prove important for adapting to their new homes as well …

Miradas Bioéticas: Antología De Reflexiones Para La Educación, Luisa Johana Lara Rodríguez

Ciencias Administrativas, Económicas y Contables

El libro "Miradas bioéticas: antología de reflexiones para la educación" es un proyecto de varios años que invita al lector a reflexionar sobre temas educativos desde la perspectiva de la bioética. Esta antología recopila ensayos y reflexiones que exploran cuestiones fundamentales como la vida, la salud y la dignidad humana en un contexto de avances científicos y tecnológicos. Cada contribución ofrece una ventana a debates que moldean nuestra comprensión de la bioética en un mundo complejo y tecnológicamente avanzado. El libro subraya el papel crucial de la educación para fomentar un pensamiento crítico y ético, esencial para abordar dilemas éticos …

Inciting Peace From The Inside Out, Stephen G. Adubato, Ebere Bosco Amakwe, Katherine Hinic, Sarita Maldjian, Forrest Pritchett, Jon Radwan, Nicholas Sooy, Chad Thralls

Conferences

Violence and war can be incited, and so can peace. This volume shares select addresses and responses from Seton Hall University’s 2/7/23 conference “Inciting Peace From The Inside Out.” A multi-disciplinary range of scholars each addresses how reconciliation processes grow from spiritual dynamics. Multiple religious traditions teach contemplative praxes that prioritize and nurture personal reflection oriented toward peace. Social conflicts divide, so engaging them with a partisan orientation only serves to escalate harmful rifts. In contrast, bringing personal awareness and sensitivity, spiritual balance, and holistic integral perspective to conflict can transcend divisions and work toward unity. This volume is supported …

“Women And Lockean Theory: John Locke, Rachel Speght, And Egalitarian Personhood, Katherine Gillespie, Bas Van Der Vossen

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Liberal political thought affirms the moral equality of all persons. The Lockean tradition within liberalism captures this equality by endowing people with equal natural rights. However, a powerful line of criticism holds that the theory fails to live up to its egalitarian billing by treating men and women differently. This article offers a rational reconstruction of the Lockean position on gender equality, and the rights of women in particular. We propose a novel interpretative method which puts Locke into conversation with a contemporary female author, Rachel Speght. In Speght, we find an interesting argument supporting an egalitarian Lockean view, grounded …

Towards An Ethics Of Difference: Constructing A Post-Structuralist Ethics, Cameron H. Carsten

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

With Love, ; An Interdisciplinary And Intersectional Look At Why Creativity Is Essential, Theo Starr Gardner

Whittier Scholars Program

My Whittier Scholars Program self-designed major, Teaching Creativity, is a mixture of Art, Literature, and Education classes. My research and praxis classes have been focused on the ‘how?’s and 'why?’s of creativity, so it felt only right that my project should be a constructivist, generative project. The project I have been working on throughout my time at Whittier, and that has just fully come to fruition on April 11th, 2024, was a solo art gallery/open mic event entitled ‘With Love,’. With Love, was conceptually inspired by the research I’ve conducted on creativity and creative arts education over the past few …

Liberation Chronicles: Reformulating Black Liberation In The Face Of Persistent Oppression, Nia P. Gadson

Honors College Theses

Liberation movements for Black people have been prominent throughout American history. Chattel slavery and Jim Crow laws caused centuries of anti-black oppression. They continuously evolved into other anti-black structures – mass incarceration, predatory loan companies, and healthcare inequalities, to name a few – that require us to address these issues still today. The most recent Black liberation movement, Black Lives Matter, experienced a brief uptick in support after George Floyd’s murder but, overall, failed to address these issues. This thesis outlines three approaches to Black liberation in the U.S. to determine the most effective. First, drawing on Frederick Douglass’ autobiographies, …

Social Theory From The Second Person Perspective, Connor Cosgrove

Major Papers

This paper relies on the work of Charles Taylor, Rahel Jaeggi, and Harmut Rosa to develop a method of ‘second-person critique.’ This is developed in opposition to first-person critique, otherwise known as self criticism, and third-person critique, which I take to be representative of instrumental reason. I criticize instrumental reason from Taylor’s perspective, while also relying on Martin Heidegger and Martin Buber to do the same. To further develop Rosa’s theory of resonance, I rely on David Graeber. I conclude by suggesting that while phenomenology has long accounted for our embodied relationship to the world, a ‘resonant phenomenology’ that includes …

Powering Justice: Sketches For A New Ethos In Energy Policy, Erin Rizzato Devlin

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

Energy politics lie at the heart of human activity. In a time of ecological and energy crisis, it is fundamental to realise that our reality systems are always open to change and that, in order to respond to the challenges of a changing energy landscape, we must explore the full possibilities of technology in a radical way. This research aims to consider the ethical implications of energy and technology, presenting an urgent case for cosmotechnical pluralism, that is the diversification of world-views, knowledges, technologies in the pursuit of energy justice in global politics. To reconstruct the world and its politics …

Griz Give-And-Get: Understanding The Context, Philosophy, And Logistics Behind A Project To Reduce Waste At The University Of Montana, Sam Sullivan

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Griz Give-and-Get is an online platform at the University of Montana that aims to reduce consumer waste. It attempts to do this by providing students and staff with a place to give away their used items. The first objective of this essay is to describe the process behind Griz Give-and-Get’s early development. The second objective is to relate concepts from environmental philosophy to Griz Give-and-Get’s mission. Although part of Griz Give-and-Get’s mission is to build community and to mitigate the effects of student poverty, this essay will narrow its focus to explore the first issue that Griz Give-and-Get concerns itself …

Harming Groups: A Reflection On Long-Term Harms Of Climate Change, Jingsi Teng

Doctoral Dissertations

This project examines Derek Parfit’s (1984) non-identity problem, which suggests that our actions cannot harm future people if they would not exist without those actions. David Boonin’s (2014) non-identity argument proposes that if distant future people’s lives are worth living, our current actions, such as burning fossil fuels and causing climate change, cannot be bad for them. This argument relies on the person-affecting view, which is the belief that an action can only be bad if it is bad for some particular person(s). Therefore, if an action does not affect any particular person(s), it cannot be considered a harm. Boonin’s …

A Comparison Of Neo-Hobbesian Social Contract Theory And Anthropological Accounts Of Socio-Political Complexity, Benjamin Lee

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social contract theory continues to be a leading theoretical framework in political philosophy. It argues that an individual's moral and political obligations are generated by, and dependent upon, an agreement or contract between that individual and the other individuals within their society. Notable scholars who have championed this theory include Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Rawls, and Gauthier. This thesis focuses on reviewing the descriptive aspects of Hobbes’ social contract theory, by revising an already revised account provided by Gregory Kavka. Once this revision is complete, it will be argued that the descriptive aspects of Hobbes’ account of social contract are in …

Civil Disobedience Of Social Workers In Hospice, Jamie Leigh Roper

Poster Presentations

What is civil disobedience? Civil disobedience is often thought of as peaceful protesting or non-violent law breaking. However, the textbook definition is “the refusal to obey the demands or commands of a government or occupying power, without resorting to violence or active measures of opposition” (Britannica). Peaceful protesting has been an integral part of American history. Henry David Thoreau, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. were all civilly disobedient citizens who altered the course of history. Any and all protests, however, cannot be considered civil disobedience, since there are some requirements of this category.

What Is Marxian Communism? Limning The Post-Revolutionary Utopia By Implication, Teodora Blejeru

Honors College

This thesis aims to discover the facts of Marxian communism by implication. By analyzing the works of Marx, this project outlines the contradictions within capitalism and explains how these problems will be solved within Marxian communism. This pro- ject explains historical materialism and how it can be used to explain Marxian com- munism as not only the end of history, but as the end of class antagonisms. It also aims to explain why twentieth century communist regimes cannot be considered truthful exam- ples of Marxian communism. After the introductory chapter, the thesis analyzes The Communist Manifesto, The German Ideology, and …

Philosophy Of 'As If': Contemporary Applications And Defense, Ryan Kopelman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis applies Hans Vaihinger’s Philosophy of ‘As If’, published originally in 1924, onto contemporary philosophical debate. Section 1 develops Vaihinger’s axiom of the evolutionary mind and his conception of logic and fiction. Section 2 further examines Vaihinger’s system of fictions and its metaphysical and epistemological implications. Sections 3-5 apply Vaihinger’s Philosophy of ‘As If’ towards the contemporary debate surrounding ethics. In sections 3-5 I point towards the presence, and use, of fictions within contemporary accounts of God, causation, free will, the self, and morality. Finally, in section 6 I raise potential objections to Vaihinger’s view and attempt to defend …

Craft And Conscience: Writing And Social Justice, Janelle Adsit

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Review of Kavita Das. Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues. Beacon, 2022. 320 pages.