Philosophers bring discussion down to earth
By: Laurie Vordtreide/Contributing Writer
Issue date: 9/23/04 Section: Culture
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This year, the philosophy department's contribution to Webster Works Worldwide (WWW) is the betterment of society.
Although WWW isn't until Oct. 6, the philosophy department purposely scheduled "Philosophy in the World: American Thought and Social Transformation," a conference on how philosophy helps to confront life's problems, on a date prior to WWW. The conference, held Sept. 16 and 17 in Emerson Library, was intended as a build-up for the campus-wide community service day.
"Webster Works Worldwide Day is about helping the community," said Assistant Professor Don Morse of the philosophy department. "The point of this conference is to try to determine the nature of some of the problems in our community and to think about ways to address these problems. To try to identify and resolve problems in the community is a way to help it."
The guest speakers were three visiting philosophy professors invited to provide insight on social problems and offer possible solutions to issues including conflicts of the self, conflicts with race and problems that arise from eating meat. The conference was presented in the tradition of pragmatism, or the view that reality and thought are practical in character.
Erin McKenna of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., talked about how eating meat not only causes human health problems, but also affects the well-being of animals and the environment.
She compared the Western tradition of eating beef with the African bush meat trade-in which hunters kill and consume thousands of bats, snails and a variety of primates-saying similar health and environmental issues stem from both.
"Gorillas have over 98 percent of the same genetic makeup as humans," she said. "Hunters make it clear: part of the thrill of killing gorillas is their similarity to humans."
McKenna explained how HIV and the Ebola virus seem to have origins in the transfer of primate meat. Hunters usually butcher the animal immediately with no sanitation methods so the meat won't spoil.
Although WWW isn't until Oct. 6, the philosophy department purposely scheduled "Philosophy in the World: American Thought and Social Transformation," a conference on how philosophy helps to confront life's problems, on a date prior to WWW. The conference, held Sept. 16 and 17 in Emerson Library, was intended as a build-up for the campus-wide community service day.
"Webster Works Worldwide Day is about helping the community," said Assistant Professor Don Morse of the philosophy department. "The point of this conference is to try to determine the nature of some of the problems in our community and to think about ways to address these problems. To try to identify and resolve problems in the community is a way to help it."
The guest speakers were three visiting philosophy professors invited to provide insight on social problems and offer possible solutions to issues including conflicts of the self, conflicts with race and problems that arise from eating meat. The conference was presented in the tradition of pragmatism, or the view that reality and thought are practical in character.
Erin McKenna of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., talked about how eating meat not only causes human health problems, but also affects the well-being of animals and the environment.
She compared the Western tradition of eating beef with the African bush meat trade-in which hunters kill and consume thousands of bats, snails and a variety of primates-saying similar health and environmental issues stem from both.
"Gorillas have over 98 percent of the same genetic makeup as humans," she said. "Hunters make it clear: part of the thrill of killing gorillas is their similarity to humans."
McKenna explained how HIV and the Ebola virus seem to have origins in the transfer of primate meat. Hunters usually butcher the animal immediately with no sanitation methods so the meat won't spoil.
