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Philosophy Spring Lectures
2004 |
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The Problem of (Phenomenal) Consciousness by Thomas
Gardner, Muhlenberg College
March 5, 2004, Friday, 3 p.m., Root Hall A-108.
Conscious experiences have subjective, phenomenal qualities -
qualities that characterize what it is like to undergo those
experiences. Examples of such “felt” experiential qualities
include the particular way that a skunk smells to you, the
hurtfulness of your headache, the blueness of your experience of
a clear summer sky, and the dizzy feeling you experience just
before passing out. Many philosophers maintain that providing a
satisfactory account of these subjective qualities of conscious
experiences is the biggest obstacle in the way of a naturalistic
account of the human mind. This is the problem of consciousness.
Over the last decade, a new theory of consciousness has emerged
that some believe offers a genuine solution to this problem.
According to this theory (called “Representationalism”), every
conscious experience represents to the experiencer some feature
of the world, and the phenomenal qualities of these experiences
are to be understood solely in terms of the representational
characteristics of those experiences. If this theory is correct
and the phenomenal qualities of conscious experiences are
fundamentally representational in nature, then the task of
completing a naturalistic account of the conscious mind is far
less imposing - all that is required is a naturalistic account
of representation itself. In this talk, I discuss the viability
of this exciting new proposed solution to the problem of
consciousness. |
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Exploring Key Research Ethics Questions in Animal
Agriculture and Animal Biotechnology by Raymond Anthony,
Dept. of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Iowa State University
March 19, 2004, Friday, 3 p.m., Root Hall A-108.
The cloning and genetic transformation of animals pose serious
philosophical and moral concerns that, for the most part, have
taken a back seat to the highly anticipated benefits that have
been promised to us by scientists and engineers as a result of
the development and refinement of these procedures. Dr. Anthony
will look at what we, as consumers of future biotechnological
products of animal origin and those sympathetic to the welfare
needs of research animals, might require of researchers and
regulators by way of responsible and respectful uses of animals.
Dr. Anthony will begin with an overview of the debates
surrounding animal welfare and animal biotechnology. Then, he
will explore the inextricable marriage between ethics and animal
welfare science that has emerged as a response to the perceived
neglect of animal welfare issues associated with animal
biotechnology. Lastly, he will explore how research ethics
committees (and the public), should approach the evaluation of
animal biotechnology such as cloning and genetic modification,
in order to ensure a climate of responsible animal use,
commensurate with the multi-faceted nature of animal welfare.
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The Existence of God by Louis Mancha, Department
of Philosophy, Ashland University April 1, 2004, Thursday, 2
p.m., HH 09.
Consider the following Humean/Darwinistic Observation: It is
possible, in certain circumstances, for chance to produce
results that one might be initially inclined to ascribe to the
purposive action of intelligent beings. If this observation is
correct, then traditional versions of the Teleological Argument
do not appear to offer strong enough evidence––particularly of
the scientific flavor––to justify their conclusion for the
existence of an Intelligent Designer of the Universe (God). In
an attempt to meet this challenge head on, philosophers have
developed other teleological-type arguments which take into
account the scientific complexity or fine-tuning of the universe
as a whole. The purpose of my talk is to introduce and briefly
explain what philosophers call the Wider Teleological Argument,
or the Fine-Tuning Argument, and attend to a few of the
objections leveled against it.
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Ethics and Business by Daniel Palmer, Department of
Philosophy, Kent State University at Trumbull April 16, 2004,
Friday, 3 p.m., Root Hall A-108
The delivery of modern health care has two facets. On the one
hand, as traditionally understood, the underlying telos of the
medical community is the promotion of patient well-being. On the
other hand, the practice of medicine and related health care
activities are also forms of business, and increasingly big
business at that. Traditionally, those working in health care
ethics have largely focused their attention upon the former
facet of the practice of medicine and the ethical issues that
are generated out of considerations of this side of medical
practice. In this lecture, Dr. Palmer will discuss the
increasing importance of ethical issues arising from the second
facet of contemporary health care practices. Dr. Palmer will
begin with an overview of the basic concepts of applied ethics
and of a number of business practices related to the delivery of
health care today. Then, he will explore a number of ethical
questions that the contemporary marriage of medicine and
business is raising, and the unique ethical challenges this
union poses to health care professionals, health care consumers
and society in general. Finally, in light of these burgeoning
issues, Dr. Palmer will investigate the basic features of an
ethically responsible approach to business within the health
care industries. |
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Thanks to all who attended. Check back for details on the 2005
Spring Philosophy lectures.
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