Hoffberger Center's Annual Ethics Week: Ethics, Democracy, and Civil Discourse, Oct. 28-31
October 22, 2024
Contact: Office of Advancement and External Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
The University of Baltimore's Hoffberger Center for Ethical Engagement will host its annual Ethics Week—a gathering of experts in public discussions about the ethics behind politics, global affairs and more—from Oct. 28-31. This year's theme is "Ethics, Democracy, and Civil Discourse." All Ethics Week events are free and open to the public.
On Monday, Oct. 28, the week's opening session, "Truth Matters: Epistemic Constraints on Fair Decision-Making Procedures, will be led by Joshua Kassner, professor of philosophy at The University of Baltimore and director of the Research Fellows for the Hoffberger Center for Ethical Engagement. Prof. Kassner teaches courses in normative and applied ethics, political philosophy, and the philosophy of law. His
research is focused on the role normative principles (moral and legal) play in the social and political institutions that govern our shared lives. "Truth Matters" will take place at 2:30 p.m. in the RLB Library's Room 412. It will be followed by a question-and-answer period beginning at 3 p.m. The session will follow an opening ceremony and lunch, beginning at 2 p.m. The library is located at 1420 Maryland Ave.
UBalt students may register for this event here.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the Ethics Week's second session, "Author Meets Critic: Prof. Aaron Herold on the Democratic Soul: Spinoza, Tocqueville, and Enlightenment Theology," will take place. Herold is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, coordinator of Legal Studies, and co-director of the Forum on Constitutionalism and Democracy at SUNY Geneseo. He teaches courses on political theory, constitutional law, and judicial politics, while his research focuses on the American constitutional tradition, the political philosophy of the liberal Enlightenment, and the thought of Alexis de Tocqueville—especially as these pertain to questions about the public role of religion and the separation of church and state. The talk will begin at noon, followed by a Q&A starting at 1 p.m., in the RLB Library's Room 412. A luncheon also will take place at noon.
UBalt students may register for this event here.
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, Ethics Week's third session, "Rights in Markets and Democracy," will be led by Steven Scalet, professor of philosophy and director of the Hoffberger Center for Ethical Engagement. Scalet is the author of Markets, Ethics, and Business Ethics and editor of Morality and Moral Controversies: Readings in Moral, Social, and Political Philosophy. "We are about to exercise a defining feature of our democratic system—the right to vote," Prof. Scalet notes. "What is the relationship between the rights of the democratic system and the rights of the marketplace? This talk will explore that question." The talk will take place at noon in the RLB Library's Room 412, followed by a Q&A at 1:30 p.m. A luncheon will take place at noon.
UBalt students may register for this event here.
On Thursday, Oct. 31, Ethics Week will culminate with a "Dine and Debate" session, "Fostering Civil Discourse: A Roundtable Discussion," led by Takamira Williams, a 2024-25 Hoffberger Center Student Fellow. This session, presented by UBalt Votes, the Hoffberger Center and the College Debates and Discourse Alliance, will consider this question:
- Should colleges and universities end affirmative action efforts?
This session will begin at noon in the RLB Library's Room 412.
Williams notes: "The College Debate and Discourse Alliance is a program created by Braver Angels, ACTA, and Bridge USA, that consists of faculty and student fellows who honor ideological diversity, foster civil discourse on college campuses, and cultivate student and faculty leaders to carry the movement forward by conducting debates.
"Braver Angels debates are not competitive or performative events separating speakers and audiences. They are immersive and highly participatory, inviting everyone in the room to express themselves freely in a collective search for truth. Conducted in a light parliamentary format and chaired by trained experts, they teach students to express their views, frame persuasive arguments, listen deeply, and engage respectfully around the most challenging political and social issues dividing our nation today."
UBalt students may register for this event here.
Learn more about UBalt's Hoffberger Center for Ethical Engagement.