Ethics Series to Address Varied Topics

Ethics Series to Address Varied Topics

RICE NEWS
October 21, 1999

The lineup for the upcoming 1999-2000 Rice University Lecture Series on Ethics, Politics and Society will draw upon experts addressing democracy, equal opportunity and beauty.

The series will begin with Russell Hardin, professor of politics at New York University and visiting professor at Stanford University. He will deliver a talk titled “The Role of Knowledge in Democratic Participation” at 4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 28, in McMurtry Auditorium of Anne and Charles Duncan Hall.

The other scheduled lecturers are John Roemer, director of the Program on Economy, Justice and Society and professor of economics at the University of California-Davis, and Richard Rorty, professor of comparative literature at Stanford University.

“The series has a splendid lineup this year,” said Donald Morrison, associate professor of philosophy and director of the lecture series. “Each of our speakers combines first-rate philosophical skills with expertise in other disciplines. Our first lecture, for example, should be of special interest to the political science community and other social scientists, as well as everyone across the campus who is interested in democracy and political life.”

Hardin is the author of “One for All: The Logic of Group Conflict and Morality Within the Limits of Reason.” For many years he was the editor of Ethics, a leading journal of moral, legal and political philosophy. Known to philosophers as an extremely sophisticated utilitarian, Hardin combines analytical skill with a deep knowledge of economics, politics and rational-choice theory to produce philosophical reflections on a variety of urgent problems in today’s society.

On Feb. 17, Roemer, who has published widely on international economics, distributive justice and socialism, will present a lecture titled “Equality of Opportunity.”

Roemer is the author of “Analytical Foundations of “Marxian Economic Theory,” “A General Theory of Exploitation and Class,” Theories of Distributive Justice” and “Equality of Opportunity.” He is concerned withsocial justice and equality and is known for using the methods of analytical philosophy and technical economics to defend socialist perspectives against standard capitalist critiques.

The last speaker in the series is Rorty, who will talk on “Sublimity and Beauty” on April 20.

Rorty has held a MacArthur Fellowship and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of hundreds of articles and several books, including “Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature” and “Contingency, Irony and Solidarity.” Rorty is a major American philosopher and a leading advocate of pragmatism.

The lecture series is sponsored by the Scholl Foundation and the dean of the School of Humanities. The lectures are free and open to the public.

For more information contact Minranda Robinson-Davis in the Department of Philosophy at (713) 527-4994.