Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons^™

Biblical Duty And Government, Katherine Musgrove

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Christian duty toward government and what it entails has been debated many times. There are arguments that say the church’s main focus should be on influencing and being involved in governmental affairs, and there are arguments that Christians should just stay out of politics. However, from a Biblical perspective, what does the relationship truly look like between a Christian and the government? Is there a Biblical obligation to be involved in government? Looking at the Bible as well as other primary and scholarly sources, most evidence leads to a more balanced opinion that it is wise for people to be …

Economics Over All: How Neoliberalism Affects Our Paradigms Of Identity And Relationships In The 21st Century, Richard R. Murphy

2023 Symposium

Not much is more heavily debated in the realm of social sciences than the phenomenon of Neoliberalism. Philosophers and academics alike, from the lectures by Michel Foucault in the latter half of the 20th century, to the publications of David Harvey and Wendy Brown today, the only constant is that Neoliberalism is a complex and nuanced system of internal governmentality. These fundamental changes to our paradigms trigger an evolved adaptively plastic mechanism that regulates our inclusive and exclusive moralities. By analyzing the mechanic structure of Neoliberalism and how it changes our paradigms of identity and relations, we may begin to …

The Polarization Of Political Parties And The American Republic, Patricia Cazeau

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

In the modern age of the 24-hour news cycle and social media, misinformation is rampant, and tensions are high. With a constant barrage of information coming from either direction, political opinions grow in number, and often in opposition to one another. This widens the fissure between the two major political parties in America, the conservative Republican, and liberal Democratic parties. Based on a study of 11 countries, including the United States, political polarization threatens democracies by creating political “tribes” that subscribe to groupthink, a harmful ideology that uplifts one school of thought while condemning others. In addition to having violent …

Women Who Kill: Providing And Justifying Alternative Legal Pathways To The Use Of Battered Women Syndrome As Self-Defense, Sara Das '23

Senior Research Symposium

Legal scholars have been grappling with how to handle legal cases concerning battered women since the 70s. Lenore Walker argued that battered women have a condition called battered woman syndrome that alters their perceptions. The cases by themselves do not fulfill requirements for self-defense, a justification doctrine nor duress, an excuse doctrine. I argue that battered women should be excused, not through using battered women syndrome to support pre-existing claims, but instead by using other psychological research to support Morse’s partial excuse doctrine. The first part of the paper argues why battered woman syndrome does not work as a psychological …

The Problem With Pacifism: How Pacifism Can Lead To Genocide And Why One Should Fight To Combat Evil, Mike Consiglio

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

No abstract provided.

2022 Mlk Keynote Address: Eddie Glaude Jr. Presentation, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Eddie Glaude Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Eddie Glaude, Jr. is an author, political commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including his most recent—the New York Times bestseller Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own—take a wide look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy.

In his writing and speaking, Glaude is an American critic in the tradition of James Baldwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson, confronting history and bringing our nation’s …

2022 Mlk Keynote Address: Eddie Glaude Jr. Pre-Event Presentation, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Eddie Glaude Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Eddie Glaude, Jr. is an author, political commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including his most recent—the New York Times bestseller Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own—take a wide look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy.

In his writing and speaking, Glaude is an American critic in the tradition of James Baldwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson, confronting history and bringing our nation’s …

Witnessing Anew: Human Rights Advocacy For Migrants At The U.S. Southern Border In Covid-19 Times, Ellen Maccarone

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

In this paper I provide a case study of transnational migrant advocacy done by the Kino Border Initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly before the pandemic I spent a week with KBI for an immersion experience part of which focused on the ideas of human rights advocacy and witnessing. “Witness” in this context has both a spiritual/moral dimension and an experiential one that can form a foundation for advocacy. Using accounts of migrants to inform and humanize changed when interpersonal witnessing became impossible during the pandemic. This increased the levels of human rights abuses experienced by migrants and limited the …

A Gendered Analysis Of Habermas And The Underrepresented Narratives Of Domestic Migrant Claims, K C. Abalos-Orendain

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

This paper explores the limitations and possibilities of Habermas’ critical social theory and discourse ethics by utilizing the analyses of two of his former students, Nancy Fraser and Seyla Benhabib. Fraser shows us the limitations of Habermas’ position because it fails to take into consideration the female perspective and contribution to the labor force. This raises the question of migration within the gender framework. On the other hand, Benhabib argues for the potential of Habermas’ philosophy by reminding us of its universalist stance.

Women As Victims Of ‘Misogyny’: Re-Centering Gender Marginalization, Xinyi Angela Zhao

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

: Among various views concerning the nature of womanhood, one difference between the materialist and the pluralist accounts is whether a woman should be defined or identified based on her typical female biological features. The former treats “woman” as the social meaning of the biological female, while the latter insists that one can be a woman by virtue of one’s internal identity without also having the normatively associated biological features. In this paper, I argue against the latter view that the inclusion or demarginalization of transwomen requires more than self-identification and that it demands the recognition of the role of …

Seeing Differences Differently: Peter Best And Morally Relevant Differences, Sandra Tomsons

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

Recently, I benefited from reflecting on Best’s arguments in There is no Difference. Accepting his argument chain to establish that there is no difference between individual Indigenous personsand European persons, we agree that Indigenous persons and Europeans have the same humanity, moral worth and individual moral human rights. Hence, we agree that Indigenous persons in Canada should legally have equal human rights. The moral difference Best sees, and I no longer see, is between Indigenous nations and European nations. For Best, differences between nations can make one nation superior to another. Challenging Best’s superior-inferior-nation hierarchy, I argue that liberal …

Canadian Decolonization: The Path To Indigenous Recognition And Sovereignty, Sebastian Farkas

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

How can Indigenous peoples acquire recognition and sovereignty within Canada? The heinous treatment of Indigenous Canadians is well documented. Thankfully, Canada has progressed from this horrific past. Whether it was Stephen Harper’s public apology in 2008, the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or Justin Trudeau’s 2015 campaign promise of a “nation-to-nation” approach, Canada has tried to repair past wrongs. However, this is not enough. By relying on decolonization theory, this paper explains that Canada must change its process for adjudicating legal affairs if Indigenous peoples are to have their rights respected, guaranteed, and upheld as sovereign peoples.

Aging Justice: Health Justice Extended, Alex Mayhew

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

The ethical framework of health justice posits that humans have a right to health, a meta-capacity to pursue their goals. However, elderly people are often expected to endure the loss of capacity as natural, while health justice as an ethical framework has been silent on the topic of aging. By extending the idea of health justice to aging, we can see the involuntary deterioration of health and end of life as a social justice issue. Meanwhile, developments in biology suggest that aging may be reversible. Therefore, we ought to support efforts to reverse aging and restore capacities to all people

The Responsive Diversity Worker: Emotional Labour In Academia, Amber Spence

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

Often in academia, women and minorities are held to a higher standard in how they present themselves (caring, empathetic) and how they manage the emotions of colleagues and students. The emotional labour that is expected of them is well documented. In this paper, I develop a new concept to address the emotional labour of diversity workers: Responsive Diversity Work. I summarize Carla Fehr’s view of the epistemic diversity worker, develop a theory of emotional labour, and explain how the responsive diversity worker, in virtue of the unfair emotional labour expected of her, is at great risk of mental health issues.

A Little Shelter From The Storm: Covid-19 And The ‘Atlantic Bubble’, Dylan Mackenzie

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

The ‘Atlantic Bubble’ (hereafter AB) is often conflated with the impressive resistance to COVID-19 outbreaks in Atlantic Canada. My paper discusses the evolution of that resistance as a way of clarifying this distinction. Understood as a political plan, AB features a response to COVID-19 which contrasts with the reaction in much of the rest of Canada. As a result, it has practical implications for future political planning in Canada, especially vis-à-vis epidemiological risk assessment. I conclude with a brief survey of the broader questions raised by AB, arguing that there are philosophical assumptions about the nature of community in Atlantic …

The Pandemic, Sociability, And Citizenship, Rhonda Martens

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

We have experienced social isolation in response to COVID-19. In particular, our weak ties (ties among acquaintances rather than between family and friends) have been trimmed. I argue, based on the work of Granovetter, Nussbaum, Talisse, and Lanoix, that this trimming of weak ties has consequences, not just for well-being, but also for how we practice social citizenship. I conclude with the suggestion that we make use of research on how to build resilience in individuals, in the hopes that resilient individuals will be in a better position to rebuild some of what the pandemic has destroyed.

Ethics, Justice, And The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Courts In Canada, Bruce Preston

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

Canadian courts have struggled with delay for decades. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic added to an already difficult situation. Courts were required to take swift action, which they did. Despite this, they have faced criticism concerning the approach taken. I will argue that this criticism is not warranted and has more to do with the perceptions of the courts’ past performance than it has to do with their response to the pandemic. Regardless, the systemic delay in Canadian courts has become an issue of ethics which overshadows any success they have had in the current pandemic.

Preface To Volume 6, 2021: Living With Covid-19: Issues And Perspectives, Philip Macewan, Sandra Tomsons

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

No abstract provided.

Volume 6: Abstracts And Keywords To Articles, Philip Macewan

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

No abstract provided.

Evidence, Testimony, And Trust: How The Covid-19 Pandemic Is Exacerbating The Crisis Of Trust In Science, Clarisse Paron

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

In this paper, I consider an example of fast science produced in the early stages of the pandemic and the lasting effects of the study on public safety and trust in science. Due to pressures intrinsic to contemporary science and from the pandemic to produce research on COVID quickly, studies on COVID-19 that did not meet rigorous scientific standards were used to form public health policies and recommendations. I argue that the fast science produced for COVID-19, which caused many public health policies and recommendations to change throughout the pandemic, confuses the publics and erodes their trust in science.

Civil Disobedience From A Biblical Perspective, Gabriel Reed

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

To say that civil disobedience is a complicated topic is to severely understate the topic. It is a subject matter that has derived many different and disparate opinions, points of view, and public policies. Specifically, within America today, we observe calls for civil disobedience from both sides of the political spectrum, over several divergent political ideals. These issues are, primarily, driven from both sides’ desire to provide protection and provision for the oppressed and those who cannot necessarily speak for themselves. The definition of who is necessarily oppressed and whom their oppressors are varies from person to person, regardless of …

Ethics In Locality: Confessions Of A Not-So-Innocent Bystander, J. Douglas Rabb

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

Using narrative form, so important in the Indigenous tradition, this paper tells the story of Ojibwa philosopher, Dennis McPherson, a friend and colleague of the author, and his persistent efforts over the years to liberate Locality.

Climate Inaction As Discrimination Against Young People, Nathan Brett

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

As many young people are now making clear, they are being subjected to extraordinary risks of harms because of government inaction on climate change. In a previous paper, I argued that those who accept climate science have an obligation to join forces with others in pressing for adequate policies. Given what is at stake, it is quite wrong for individuals go about their everyday lives while ignoring the problem. This is not a vague obligation to future generations, nor is it an obligation that is opaque to common-sense morality. This paper is a commentary on Greta Thunberg’s brief but powerful …

Free And Always Will Be? On Social Media Participation As It Undermines Individual Autonomy, Kathryn Norlock

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

Social media participation undermines individual autonomy in ways that ought to concern ethicists. Discussions in the philosophical literature are concerned primarily with egregious conduct online such as harassment and shaming, keeping the focus on obvious ills to which no one could consent; this prevents a wider understanding of the risks and harms of quotidian social media participation. Two particular concerns occupy me: social media participation carries the risks of (1) negatively formative experiences and (2) continuous partial attention due to our habituation to the variable rewards that social media platforms provide. Although social media offer benefits as well as risks, …

Engaging With Indigenous Philosophy With An Indigenous Philosopher, Lorraine Mayer

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

This paper tells the story of an encounter between Wisakaychak, a trickster in the Omushkego tradition, and the Strange Stranger. The latter is engrossed in trying to determine what he can know beyond any doubt. Wisakaychak engages his partner in dialogue. By posing suitable questions to him, Wisakaychak is able to elicit answers from him, including the answer to the riddle of his own identity.

Healthy Enough? A Capability Approach To Sufficiency And Equality, Jay Drydyk

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

‘Sufficiency’ approaches to social and global justice stress that everyone must have enough. According to some advocates of this approach, only sufficiency is important, not equality. Martha Nussbaum, who is often classified as a sufficiency advocate, has defied this stricture against egalitarianism by contending that, in several domains, nothing is adequate short of equality. She cites political freedoms as her most persuasive example and suggests that the same may be true of the capability for health care. However, she does not explore this idea in depth: the idea that, in the domain of health, nothing short of equal capabilities is …

Examining The Ethical Basis For Personal Support Workers In Ontario, Maureen Muldoon

The Canadian Society for Study of Practical Ethics / Société Canadienne Pour L'étude De L'éthique Appliquée — SCEEA

This paper argues that Personal Support Workers (PSWs), the staff people who care for residents in long-term care facilities and nursing homes and who have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, need to negotiate a new social contract with government based on equitable terms to recognize the essential nature of their work, thereby helping to ensure public accountability and trust.

Augustine Of Hippo: A Historical Theology Evaluation, Zachary Monte

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Historical Theology Survey Critique: Augustine of Hippo evaluates how current historical theology survey texts understand and present the theology of Augustine. The texts will be examined to assess the following: the accuracy of presentation on discussed topics, the specific theological topics which Augustine addressed which are excluded in the surveys, and if there is any discernible theological bias on the part of the authors. The historical theology surveys that are focused on within this research paper include Greg Allison’s Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine, Justo González’s A History of Christian Thought, and Alister McGrath’s Historical Theology: An Introduction …

“Identity-Based” And “Diversity-Based” Evidence Between Linear And Fractal Rationality, Maurizio Manzin

OSSA Conference Archive

I identify two types of evidence: one based on “linear” rationality (LR) and the other based on “fractal” rationality (FR). For LR, evidence depends only on systematic coherence, and all other sources of knowledge (intuitive, perceptive, symbolic, poetic, moral, etc.) are marginalized. For FR, evidence requires an approach more adherent to the “irregularities” of life. LR philosophically entails a Neoplatonist and Cartesian account on identity, whereas FR entails Plato’s account on identity and diversity as coessential.

Commentary: Wu’S “Indigenous Cosmovision And Rights Of Nature: A Legal Inquiry”, Andrea G. Sullivan-Clarke

OSSA Conference Archive

No abstract provided.