[SydPhil] University of Sydney Philosophy Seminar Series: Mandi Astola (Wednesday 22nd Feb, 3:00 p.m.)

[Ryan Cox]

Hi everyone,

We’re very excited to be kicking-off the University of Sydney Philosophy Seminar Series for 2023 next week (on Wednesday the 22nd of February at 3:30 p.m.) with our first speaker, Mandi Astola (Delft University of Technology).

The title of Mandi’s talk is “Moral Creativity”. Here’s an abstract of the talk:

Moral creativity is a type of creativity which concerns the domain of moral action. A morally creative person is able to imagine various courses of action in response to a moral problem or dilemma. Importantly, it also includes the invention of novel and non-habitual courses of action which fulfil moral obligations as much as possible to others, even when fulfilling all obligations seems impossible at first glance. I consider moral creativity to be a virtue and in this talk I sketch a way in which moral creativity could be integrated into Aristotelian virtue ethics. In Aristotelian virtue ethics, the good life is understood as a life led by a person who possesses the virtues. The virtues are habitual good character traits like courage, magnanimity and generosity. All the virtues are controlled by a super-virtue (also sometimes called an executive virtue) called practical wisdom, or phronesis. Phronesis is conceptualized roughly the ability to know what types of actions are appropriate for particular circumstances. Practical wisdom has always been very difficult to conceptualize and descriptions of it in literature remain quite vague. I explore whether it is possible that practical wisdom is best conceptualized as moral creativity. This would mean that creativity is essential for being a good person.

The talk will take place on Wednesday the 22nd of February at 3:30 p.m. in the Philosophy Seminar Room (N494) in the Quadrangle and will be simulcast via Zoom: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/88699564848. The talk will be followed by drinks and informal discussion at the Rose and then, depending on interest, dinner with the speaker. All welcome!

Enquiries about the seminar series can be directed to ryan.cox at sydney.edu.au<mailto:ryan.cox at sydney.edu.au>

Ryan Cox
Associate Lecturer in Philosophy
Discipline of Philosophy
School of Humanities
University of Sydney
ryan.cox at sydney.edu.au<mailto:ryan.cox at sydney.edu.au>
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