Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons^™

Majority Rule: A Dysfunctional Polity Consensus: An Inclusive Democracy, Peter Emerson

International Dialogue

Numerous electoral systems have been devised over the years but, in decision-making, many forums still rely on the same procedure that was used in ancient Greece: majority voting. Hence, majority rule. In many plural multi-ethnic and/or multi-religious societies, the effects have often been negative. This article considers voting procedures in three inter-related contexts: decision-making, elections, and governance. With regard to conflicts in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, and Ukraine, it shows, both in decision-making and in elections, how simplistic win-or-lose ballots have exacerbated tensions. And it then suggests a more inclusive polity in which win-win voting systems might help to alleviate …

The Mapuche In Modern Chile: A Cultural History, Ramón J. Guerra

International Dialogue

In Joanna Crow’s cultural exposition of Chile’s largest indigenous population, The Mapuche in Modern Chile: A Cultural History, she makes a concerted effort to highlight the cultural components of the group’s identity and presence both in negotiation with and in resistance to the larger Chilean state throughout history. As a primary target of her research, the post-colonial approach illuminates the agency-driven Mapuche as being continuously reimagined in the nation’s history—not necessarily restructured but more to the point of being reconsidered. In order to elicit this type of reconsideration, Crow exposes the prominence of the “historic Mapuche” image as the dominant …

Making Human Rights A Reality, Debra L. Delaet

International Dialogue

Emilie Hafner-Burton’s Making Human Rights a Reality offers an accessible and informed analysis of the significant gap between the normative universalism of international human rights law and its limited effects in practice. The book’s primary purpose is to offer a pragmatic, strategic alternative to global legalism for promoting the progressive realization of fundamental human rights. In Hafner-Burton’s view, the cause of human rights promotion would be better-served by relying on states with strong human rights records (both in terms of respecting rights at home and commitment to promoting them abroad) to use foreign policy as a tool for changing the …

Africa In World Politics: Engaging A Changing Global Order, Manfred Wogugu

International Dialogue

The issue of central concern for the editors and contributing authors of this book is whether Africa’s emergence on the world political scene will usher in the enabling environment for sustainable broad-spectrum development in the political, socio-economic, cultural and environmental spheres. The authors also make an attempt to address the issue of economic growth for the region. The underlying assumption is that the spread of economic growth to all countries in the continent, if it prevails, will reduce poverty and inequality and ultimately improve the quality of life for Africans. Against the backdrop of the global economic and political order …

Absolute Recoil: Towards A New Foundation Of Dialectical Materialism, Robert Sinnerbrink

International Dialogue

Slavoj Žižek continues his idiosyncratic critique of global capitalism, democratic culture, and neoliberal ideology in his latest 400+ page tome, Absolute Recoil: Towards a New Foundation of dialectical Materialism, which promises to provide, much like his Less than Nothing: Hegel and the Shadow of Dialectical Materialism (Verso, 2012), a resolutely idealist “new foundation” for dialectical materialism. This is a promise that Žižek has made for some years now, since what we might call his “system” turn became manifest in the publication of a series of major books (In Defense of Lost Causes [Verso, 2008]; Living in the End Times, Less …

The Liberal As An Enemy Of Queer Justice, Craig Schamel

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

Abstract

Liberalism as a historical mode of the political is the context in which the movement and ensuing struggle for queer justice emerged in most Western countries. The terminology, practices, tendencies, beliefs, ethics, laws, and patterns of political and social life which have been determined by this mode of the political, it is argued, are inimical to queer justice and render its achievement impossible. Liberalism as a mode of the political is approached from below, from knowledge gained in practical experience in queer groups which considered themselves revolutionary at least to some degree, and from the effects on such groups …

Book Review: Loving Animals By Kathy Rudy, Nancy Williams

Between the Species

No abstract provided.

Three Books On Leo Strauss, Steven Frankel

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Politics After Macintyre, Philip E. Devine

Philosophy Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Paralysis And Sexuality In Medical Literature And The 'Acts Of Peter', Meghan Henning

Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

This paper focuses on the story of Peter’s daughter that is found in the Berlin Coptic papyrus BG 8502.4 and is associated with the apocryphal Acts of Peter. Research on the story of Peter’s daughter has primarily focused on its interpretation of the theme of chastity, or whether the story was originally included in the Acts of Peter. In the course of these investigations, scholars have taken for granted the curious assumption of the text that paralysis renders Peter’s daughter unfit for marriage, and thus safe from Ptolemy’s unwanted advances.

This paper explores the underlying understandings of paralysis and sexuality …

Are Liberal Perfectionism And Neutrality Mutually Exclusive?, Eldar Sarajlic

Publications and Research

In this paper, I question the view that liberal perfectionism and neutrality are mutually exclusive doctrines. I do so by criticizing two claims made by Jonathan Quong. First, I object to his claim that comprehensive anti-perfectionism is incoherent. Second, I criticize his claim that liberal perfectionism cannot avoid a paternalist stance. I argue that Quong’s substantive assumptions about personal autonomy undermine both of his arguments. I use the discussion of Quong to argue that the standard assumption in liberal theory about mutual exclusivity of liberal perfectionism and neutrality needs to be reconsidered, and I show why the argument about the …

The Infectiousness Of Hope, Joan Woolfrey

Philosophy Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Sheila Lintott, “Friendship And Bias: Ethical And Epistemic Considerations,”, Sheila Lintott

Faculty Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Academic Integrity And Facing Academic Dishonesty Afternoon Plenary Session & Wrap-Up, Abbylynn Helgevold, Jennifer Waldron, Disa Lubker Cornish, Brittany Flokstra, Craig Vansandt

Ethics Conference

A core classroom value for many college and university instructors is academic integrity and honesty. Instructors often employ a range of strategies to strengthen academic integrity and limit academic dishonesty in their individual courses. By bringing together panelists from a variety of disciplines and professional experiences, who teach a range of courses in diverse formats, levels, and sizes, this panel aims to generate a discussion about how to support a culture of academic integrity. We will address these issues based on how we think about academic integrity and dishonesty, our discipline or course specific concerns, our physical and institutional environments, …

Stem Education, Ethics & Communication, Laura Terlip, Jeffrey Brand

Ethics Conference

This session will focus on the need for integrating ethics education in general and communication ethics specifically into K-12 STEM education. The authors will discuss their previous work on science communication and ethics and present the results of a survey conducted to ascertain K-12 educator perceptions about the need to incorporate ethics into K-12 STEM programs.

Vulnerability And Children With Disabilities: Ethical Spheres Of Concern In Research And Practice, Chris Kliewer, Susan Etscheidt

Ethics Conference

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requires that research involving children, including highly vulnerable social categories of children, detail adequate provisions to solicit the assent of children (in addition to receiving parental permission). The purpose appears to recognize the autonomy of children.

In this presentation, we raise questions about the autonomy and rights of children in both research projects and educational/therapeutic practices (often the focus of research projects). Commonly, justification for research and/or practices proceeds from two seemingly complementary orientations: (1) a deficit/deficiency model of disability and (2) a utilitarian ethical consideration focused on a rather narrow analysis …

An Interprofessional Approach To Plagiarism Prevention, Jacqueline Meyer, Lisa Brodersen, Seth Vickers, Dana Wedeking

Ethics Conference

The Graduate Nursing program employs a comprehensive, interprofessional approach to facilitate academic integrity for Master’s of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice students. This panel presentation will address the various facets of this approach, focusing specifically on plagiarism prevention.

An Academic Integrity Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) addresses expectations for students in regard to all aspects of academic integrity, including plagiarism. In addition, this SOP establishes a mechanism for dealing with instances of plagiarism when they occur. As a condition of the SOP, students sign the plagiarism policy at program orientation and annually thereafter. During their “Academic Success and …

Factors Contributing To Faculty Research Misconduct, Anita Gordon, Helen Harton

Ethics Conference

This session shares selected results from a national survey, funded by the U.S. Office of Research Integrity, to investigate the perceptions of research misconduct by faculty researchers from four disciplinary areas (biology, social work, sociology, and psychology). About 4,500 faculty from 107 randomly selected research-intensive and master’s comprehensive universities were invited to participate, leading to a response rate of approximately 40%. Respondents assessed scenarios depicting researcher misbehavior and reported how likely they would be to take those actions under the same circumstances. They also rated their perceptions of how wrong the actions were, how likely the actions were to become …

Student Perspectives On Academic Ethics, Laura Terlip, Parker Bennett, Samantha Johannsen, Toril Eintman, Lanie M. Crouse

Ethics Conference

This panel will consist of undergraduate and graduate students who will answer specific questions regarding academic ethics and discuss their positions with the audience. Case study examples will be posed for student/audience discussion and interaction.

The Ethics Of Words In An Ethical (Academic) World, Bill Koch

Ethics Conference

The topic of my presentation was prompted by a question I’ve asked students in my writing class: why is it that colleges almost uniformly require students take courses on writing and speaking in their first year of college? Why do programs like Cornerstone usually consist of courses on writing and speech and not, say, biology and business? Why are words in spoken and written form so important? My presentation will answer these questions and show that the ethical issues related to integrity and cheating can be greatly clarified when students and faculty engage more deeply, radically with their words.

This …