Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons^™

What Is Assertiveness?, Mirjana Trifunovic

Theses

My main aim is to define assertiveness, to distinguish assertiveness from aggressiveness, and to raise the question of whether we should be assertive. Most articles on assertiveness are from the field of psychology. In psychology, assertiveness is defined as a healthy way of expressing oneself. But what does assertiveness mean? How should we define assertiveness and is assertiveness desirable, or is it closely connected to aggressiveness? Should we say that assertiveness is a part of our character, an innate quality, or an acquired skill? In this thesis, I will define assertiveness and show how to distinguish assertiveness from aggressiveness. Most …

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 - 2021-2024

No abstract provided.

"For You There Are No Strangers": Albert Schweitzer And The Ethics Of Necessity In Pandemic America, Joel (J.T.) Young

Faculty Scholarship

Claiming millions of lives and affecting millions more, the Covid-19 pandemic has thrust humanity into a period of intense reflection on the fragility of life. However, in this time when people have been encouraged to care for their fellow human beings by taking the precautions necessary to protect one another, many have asked the same question as one of Jesus’ antagonistic opponents in the Gospel of Luke: “and who is my neighbor?” In addition to the virus, though, the United States has been plagued by another adversary: non-necessity toward the other. By claiming no responsibility for the well-being and care …

Persistence In The North Pacific: The Makah People And Their Fight To Protect Their Cultural Heritage, Jeff Cocci

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

In the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of North America a whale swims blissfully unaware of its own significance. It is a Gray Whale; scientists would call it Eschrichtius robustus and at nearly forty feet long, it is large enough that it does not have to worry about sharks or other carnivorous animals. Yet there are those that are brave enough to hunt the whale. They are the Makah People of the Olympian Peninsula, in upper Washington state. By doing so, they place themselves at the center of a complex ethical debate amongst activists, scientists, and the general public. …

Uneasy Is The Head That Imagines The Burden, Michael Adelson

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

This paper deconstructs and criticizes the very notion of “an obligation to help humanity.” I argue that such an idea of an obligation is an evolution of the ideas that emerged in the 19^th century regarding the “white man’s burden.” Referencing historical allusions to the 19^th and 20^th century European ideas of the white man’s burden, the concept of a greater obligation to help others can be demeaning and self-aggrandizing, creating a modern, updated “new white man’s burden.” As dispositively confirmed through my own anecdotal experiences in higher education, an obligation to help humanity, specifically non-white peoples, …

Unlovable Labour: Rejecting The "Do What You Love" Ideology, Trey Dykeman

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

Miya Tokumitsu’s article ‘In the Name of Love’ is polemic against what she refers to as the DWYL (Do What You Love) movement that has been most recognisably popularised and transformed by Steve Jobs. She denounces this movement as an insidious ideology cleverly disguised as an uplifting lifestyle which has as its tenets labour, profit, and individualism; through her analysis of these tenets, she unveils them as alienation, erasure, and precarity, respectively. Her insights aid her in her aim to demonstrate that these ideological pillars do not support the wellbeing of the proletariat but rather reinforce the rugged structure of …

The Blacker The Berry, The Sweeter The Juice?, Abigail Coachi

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

This essay recounts the origins of colorism in slavery practices in the United States and examines how skin tone is still a factor today in the media and film industry - perpetuating stereotypes and harming self-esteem.

The Ethics Surrounding Do-It-Yourself Hormone Replacement Therapy, Ted Studt

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

Healthcare is often a complicated issue to navigate, and sadly it gets no easier for those who are transgender. Gender-affirming healthcare can be incredibly tough to attain, both within and outside the United States. Research found that trans citizens in the US were less likely to be insured and more likely to experience barriers to access than cis citizens. In April and May 2021, laws were signed into effect in Arkansas and Tennessee targeting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and puberty blockers, specifically banning such medicines being given to individuals under 18. As a result, many transgender citizens turn to online …

The Role Of The Filmmaker: Truth And Awareness, Amy Litofsky

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

Documentary can be defined as motion picture that shapes and interprets factual material for purposes of education or entertainment. The problem with most documentary films, though, is that the filmmaker never does enough in their film. Filmmakers are too focused on simply exposing the truth on the issues being filmed and not focused enough on providing solutions for these issues. This is something apparent in all genres of documentary, from cinema verité, which Bill Nichols explains, “seldom offered the sense of history, context, or perspective that viewers seek” (640), to observational film, which “appears to leave the driving to us. …

Love And The Winter: C.S. Lewis, Nigel Biggar, And Marc Livecche On Enemy Love, Jason Lepojärvi

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Abstract: In this paper I tackle two difficult questions about enemy love, with C. S. Lewis as my guide. First, how do we forgive a person who has deeply injured us? Second, can the Christian command to “love thy enemy” be reconciled with the military task of killing one’s opponent in war? After defining “love”, “enemy”, and “enemy love”, I discuss these two questions in light of the things that most endanger enemy love: resentment and violence. According to Lewis, the virtue of forgiveness and the religious habit of prayer play a crucial role in overcoming resentment. As for violence, …

Buddhist Ethics As A Path: A Defense Of Normative Gradualism, Javier S. Hidalgo

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

This essay defends a new interpretation of Buddhist ethics: normative gradualism. According to normative gradualism, what we have normative reason to do depends on our stage along the Buddhist spiritual path. The essay shows how normative gradualism can justify distinctive features of Buddhist ethics and reconcile consequentialist and eudaimonistic interpretations of Buddhist moral thought.

The “Community-Based Integrated Care System” And Discourse Ethics – From The Viewpoint Of Autonomy And Solidarity –, Koichi Asakura

Japanese Society and Culture

Since the establishment of the Long-term Care Insurance System in 2000, the promotion of the Community-based Integrated Care System has been promoted. The policy of the Long-term Care Insurance System sets in-home care services before reducing the economic burden in this country. However, this idea is not used in the latest report. The policy that individuals requiring care and terminal stage patients be sent into a large-scale accommodation in a depopulated area and live there until they die, is not adopted because of the belief or philosophy of the foundation of respect for dignity. In this study, I discuss the …

Grey’S Anatomy And End Of Life Ethics, Sean Micheal Swenson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative study, I analyze three episodes of the prime-time television medical drama Grey’s Anatomy to explore how the show stages conversations of end of life. I extend the work of end of life ethicists with attention to the ways that media may/should/could be used to teach and reflect issues of dying in America. Performing a close textual analysis, I identified two modes of storytelling within the structure of these episodes: Documentary Realism and Melodrama. I argue that if we are to understand medical dramas as a tool for the dissemination of information about end of life ethics, we …

Srad Director's Corner: The People’S Republic Of China’S Challenge To Us Security, George Shatzer

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This “SRAD Director’s Corner” is the inaugural contribution by Colonel George Shatzer, director of the Strategy Research and Analysis Division of the Strategic Studies Institute at the US Army War College. In each contribution, Shatzer will discuss books of relevance to US Joint planners and strategists, as well as those of our allies and strategic partners. He will apply his experience and education as a US Army senior strategist to extract insights useful to anyone contemplating how to confront the challenges of today’s strategic environment.

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Developing Strategic Lieutenants In The Canadian Army, James R. Mckay, H. Christian Breede, Ali Dizboni, Pierre Jolicoeur

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This Canadian contribution to Parameters’ Strategic Lieutenant series shows how domestic context creates the conditions for professional military education reform to a greater extent than the global strategic context. The article assesses the junior officer education delivered by Canada’s military colleges and analyzes interviews with key stakeholders responsible for the formulation and implementation of reform at the military colleges.

On "The Battalion Commander Effect" And Authors' Response, Ralph Masi

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This commentary responds to Everett Spain, Gautam Mukunda, and Archie Bates’s article, “The Battalion Commander Effect,” published in the Autumn 2021 issue of Parameters (vol. 51, no. 3).

On "Broken Nest: Deterring China From Invading Taiwan" And Authors' Response, Eric Chan

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Chinese And Western Ways Of War And Their Ethics, C. Anthony Pfaff

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

US officials often portray the Chinese government as having few, if any, ethical boundaries in its pursuit of power. This article argues China, like Western countries, has a rich tradition of constraining this pursuit that can impact the nation’s policies. With a focus on the relationship between ways of war and ethics of war, it relies on traditional and contemporary scholarship from both the East and the West to highlight differences in how each military views the practical and ethical aspects of war and how these views can interact. Understanding the ethical logic available to one’s adversaries will allow US …

Water Wars Of The Future: Myth Or Reality?, Gerald J. Krieger

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article provides background and context for regional trends and historic agreements focused on the Nile River Basin, offers a comprehensive assessment of security challenges, and presents focus areas for future investment and cooperation. The policy recommendations will serve American interests better and improve agricultural practices in the region. Without a marked alteration of existing aid from Western countries, the water scarcity situation will continue without significantly producing the required infrastructure improvements.

Information Warfare: Lessons In Inoculation To Disinformation, Meghan Fitzpatrick, Ritu Gill, Jennifer F. Giles

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

While propaganda and disinformation have been used to destabilize opposing forces throughout history, the US military remains unprepared for the way these methods have been adapted to the Internet era. This article explores the modern history of disinformation campaigns and the current state of US military readiness in the face of campaigns from near-peer competitors and proposes education as the best way to prepare US servicemembers to defend against such campaigns.

China’S Global Monopoly On Rare-Earth Elements, Gustavo Ferreira, Jamie Critelli

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article delivers a novel economic analysis of US dependence on China for rare-earth elements and sheds light on how Western nations may exploit the limitations of limit pricing to break China’s global monopoly in rare-earth element production and refinement. This analytical framework, supported by a comprehensive literature review, the application of microeconomic and industrial organization concepts, and two case-study scenarios, provides several policy recommendations to address the most important foreign policy challenge the United States has faced since the end of the Cold War.

A Failure To Innovate: The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, Zhirayr Amirkhanyan

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The root cause for the defeat of the Armenian forces in the second Nagorno-Karabakh War was flawed military doctrine inherited from the Soviet Union. This article analyzes the major problems faced by Armenia, uncovers the main reasons for unsuccessful innovation, tests empirical findings against some of the most authoritative theories of the field, and outlines current research on the largest state-onstate warfighting of recent years, while substantiating the analysis with established scholarship in the field of military innovation.

In The Spotlight: Dealing With The Russians, Andrew Monaghan

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

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 …

P/A Forum Symposia Animal Labour A New Frontier Of Interspecies Justice?, Jishnu Guha-Majumdar, Diego Rossello, Angie Pepper, Peter Niesen, Will Kymlicka, Charlotte E. Blattner

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

On April 15, 2021, a roundtable occurred at the annual conference of the Midwestern Political Science Association to discuss Animal Labour: A New Frontier of Interspecies Justice?, edited by Charlotte Blattner, Kendra Coulter, and Will Kymlicka, and published by Oxford University Press in February 2020. The following symposium contains expanded versions of the papers presented at the MPSA conference. Jishnu Guha-Majumdar introduces the edited volume and the contributions of the respondents in the symposium. Diego Rossello then discusses the book’s framing as “interspecies justice” and its definition of labor. Angie Pepper reflects on whether it is possible for animals …

Hume’S Politics And Four Dimensions Of Realism, Keith Hankins, John Thrasher

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Debates between realists and idealists in contemporary political theory have been confused by a tendency to conflate several distinct methodological theses. This article distinguishes between four dimensions of realism and shows how a novel reading of Hume’s politics can help us make sense of the importance of these theses and the relationships between them. More specifically, we argue that a theory we call normative conventionalism can be distilled from two of Hume’s more surprising and controversial essays, “The Idea of a Perfect Commonwealth” and “That Politics May Be Reduced to a Science.” This theory views norms and institutions as conventional …

Steve Mcqueen, The Filmmaker, And Kant’S Sensus Communis, Livia Melamed Margon

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reflects on the ways in which art reinforces community and reduces political polarity by stimulating shared feelings, namely through Kant's idea of sensus communis. To illustrate its argument, this thesis analyzes the work of Steve McQueen, a politically aware, ethically engaged, and broadly recognized filmmaker and artist.

Mike Dewine, Mask Mandates, And The Value Of Moral Philosophy, Jonathan Spelman

Philosophy and Religion Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.