[SydPhil] MQ Philosophy Work in Progress Seminar 3rd of March James Franklin (UNSW)

[Emily Hughes]

You are warmly invited to the next MQ Philosophy Work in Progress (WIP)
seminar which will be given by James Franklin from UNSW.

The details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday 3rd of March
Time:   13:00-14:00
Room: 17WW 113

Title: Ethics can’t do without metaphysics

Abstract: Metaphysics-phobia is rife in ethics and political philosophy.
Rawls for example claims that his conception of justice is “political not
metaphysical”. That orientation of the field has favoured conceptions of
ethics as fundamentally about evolved customs, or “traffic rules for
self-assertors” (Annette Baier), rather than views that take ethics to be
seriously answerable to something in the way things are. The talk argues
that foundational studies in (human) ethics should take metaphysics
seriously, especially the extensive theories of supervenience (or
grounding). A fundamental concept in ethics is the worth of persons –
surely the main reason why murder is wrong is the terminal harm to the
victim, and harm is a concept that implies the worth of the entity harmed.
Worth is argued to be a metaphysically and ethically strong concept,
grounded (in the metaphysicians’ sense) in properties of the human person
that are not themselves ethical (classically, rationality, but modern
sensibilities favour a wider base including, for example, the will, love,
individuality …).

Further information about the seminar series including the zoom link and
details on future talks can be found at the seminar webpage:
https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/6VT2CWLVXkUXWmjAjs6f6IorI1s?domain=mqphilosophy.github.io
<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/RcSpCXLW2mUDzonxnhVhKIWZxlw?domain=aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com>

We look forward to seeing you there.


*Dr Emily Hughes *(she/her)

ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) Fellow in Philosophy

School of Humanities, Faculty of Arts

Michael Kirby Building, 17 Wally's Walk

Level 2, Room 233

Macquarie University – Wallumattagal Campus, Dharug Country

NSW 2109 Australia

E: emily.hughes at mq.edu.au

W: https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/OT2LCYW8Nocp423z3I9i9IxRLRz?domain=researchers.mq.edu.au



*I acknowledge that Macquarie University stands on the land of the Dharug
Nation, land that was never ceded. I pay my respects to the Dharug
people, the Wallumattagal clan, and their Elders past and present. Always
was, always will be, Aboriginal land.*