Times are changing. Roads may soon be populated by self-driving cars. The meat on sale in the supermarket may, before too long, be grown in a lab as a result of cell culturing rather than produced as a consequence of animal slaughter. Long dead actors are being virtually revived to play roles in contexts to which they never consented. People can communicate with “chat-bot” versions of their dead relatives. With the rise of globalization and the internet, our moral universe is rapidly expanding as we come to understand other cultures, people, animals, and the natural world more completely. At the same time that technology advances quickly, history repeats itself. Fascist movements gain power. Demagogues capitalize on xenophobia, in-group/out-group dynamics, and latent feelings of insecurity and disenfranchisement in order to gain money and power. In the process, rights, dignity, and well-being, especially of members of oppressed populations, are left vulnerable.
In the face of all of this there are important roles for philosophers to play. The brave new world in which we find ourselves is one that we each must navigate, both alone as individuals and together as members of communities. It is together that we must think through both how to understand the problems we face and how to solve them. We need philosophers who are willing to work out these ethical problems with the public. The Ethical Issues in Public Philosophy series focuses on this mission in its various forms. I am excited to serve as a series editor for this series.
One dominant form the project takes is providing space for philosophers to work through the ethical problems of the day in a forum and style that is conducive to public discourse. The series will focus on the most relevant contemporary issues and will offer insightful and accessible arguments from experts in the relevant discussion area. This is perhaps what people are inclined to think of the most often when they think about public philosophy. Posts of this type will focus on reasoning as a group and will take seriously Bertrand Russell’s insight in The Problems of Philosophy that, “contemplation enlarges not only the objects of our thoughts, but also the objects of our actions and our affections: it makes us citizens of the universe, not only of one walled city at war with all the rest.”
A second form the series takes is to highlight projects being done outside of the library or classroom that engage diverse populations in discussion about these issues. We’ll highlight philosophers doing work with incarcerated, at risk, rural, and historically marginalized populations. We’ll hear from people who have brought their philosophical training into contexts in which they are in a position to engage contemporary ethical problems head-on. Some of these people do work with non-profits and others are engaged in activism motivated by philosophical insights. Some contributors will be educators immersing their students in community-based learning projects to engage them with moral questions in ways that encourage empathy and appreciation for context. Posts of this type are consistent with bell hooks’ contention from Teaching to Transgress that active, engaged, discourse provides learners with “an openness of mind and heart that allows us to face reality even as we collectively imagine ways to move beyond boundaries, to transgress. This is education as the practice of freedom.”
Third, the series will bring wisdom from the history of ideas to bear in new and useful ways to the moral problems of contemporary life. Many of the great ideas of philosophy are potent and enduring because they speak to something fundamental to who we are and how we flourish. That said, the practical application of these lessons to novel circumstances not anticipated by the original authors can be challenging, and our contributors will provide their insights on how people can use ancient insights to navigate modern problems. These posts will be useful readings for the general public and for students of philosophy who want to consider the practical implications of the theories they’re learning about in class.
I will ask writers for this series to craft their posts in an accessible and engaging style; they will be encouraged to avoid unnecessary jargon and when technical terms are introduced, they will be carefully explained. The goal of this series is to contribute to an environment of rich, productive discussion of moral issues in a way that is inclusive of all people who want to read, learn, and act. I hope that the series will encourage philosophers to get involved in public philosophy efforts where their skills can make a difference.
To learn more or to pitch an idea for this series, contact Rachel Robison-Greene at rachel.robison@usu.edu.
