Disaster ethics

Lauren Traczykowski, Aston Univeristy

Research suggests that people resort to what they know in a crisis situation. However, there is a difference between knowing the practicalities of crisis management/response and knowing what should be done, ethically speaking. This course will provide students with an appreciation of ethical theory/principles applicable in disaster or crisis scenarios, the skills to apply ethics in a crisis and make justifiable decisions; an ability to critically analyse/advise professionals on the application of ethics in crisis scenarios. To that end, the ‘what they know’ will include the capacity for ethical analysis and decision-making.

Sessions will cover a range of disaster/crisis ethics topics. Students are often not exposed to problems/issues/crises from different disciplines. By considering the intersection of ethical concepts, in disaster/crisis contexts, across disciplines, students will be exposed to the different discipline-specific responses which may/may not suit an overall ethical response operation.

Many of the topics covered under the umbrella of disaster ethics are distinct disciplines in themselves: climate justice, capitalism and financial crises, humanitarian response,
normative ethics. Philosophy students will thus develop an interdisciplinary bridge with these different disciplines or backgrounds so as to improve their ability to work in real world scenarios. Students will learn how to examine and apply ethics in a disaster scenario, considering the conflicting and overlapping priorities of different disciplines and learn to articulate and act on professional responses. Understanding commonalities, interests, priorities, across disciplines ahead of a crisis will prepare those responding to interact with colleagues and pursue cohesive and ethical outcomes.

I take a playful learning approach to teaching and with that I provide students a chance to challenge principles, debate with classmates and become accustomed to working across disciplines in a crisis.

Ethical Discourse for Depolarization

Andrew Jason Cohen, Georgia State University

Debates about public policy and the reach of the law are increasingly polarized, with many preferring an unclean roommate to one with whom they have substantial political disagreements. In response, we will begin by discussing a new framework for discussing ethically and politically divisive issues. The goal is to encourage more civil discourse about controversial topics of all sorts. Rather than using abstract moral theory, we will use intuitive principles from jurisprudence.  The course will use a draft of a new book on the topic as well as readings intended for popular audiences on specific controversial issues. 

Fiction Writing as Philosophical Methodology

Sara Uckelman, Durham University

In this class, I will introduce students to the idea that writing fiction can be means of doing philosophy – a novel method that brings insight into philosophical problems that traditional methods might overlook. The class will comprise both the theoretical, including discussions of methodology, epistemology, philosophy and literature, and genre, and the practical, including hands-on writing and revising workshops. At the end, students will be able to confidently articulate the value of writing fiction as a means of philosophical exploration, and to deploy this methodology on their own.