Moral Vulnerability in a Time of Political Crisis
Our current era is one of extraordinary political polarization, even political crisis. This crisis not only affects everyone but also requires more of each of us. Our moral responsibilities are greater in times of crisis than they are in more normal times, and how each of us responds to this crisis will tell us important things about who we are. In this public lecture, Professor Todd May will frame the nature of the crisis, discuss what it requires of us and show how our responses reveal our moral character. The event is sponsored by the Department of Philosophy.
About the speaker
Todd May is the Class of 1941 Memorial Professor of Humanities in the Department
of Philosophy and Religion at Clemson University where he has taught for nearly
30 years. For many of those years, his area of specialization in philosophy was
recent French thought, especially that of Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze. More
recently he has turned his attention to broader life concerns: meaning in life,
coping with suffering, acting with moral decency and so on. He is the author of
16 books of philosophy, including "
Death (The Art of Living)" which inspired the producers of "The Good Place"
to offer him a consulting role on the NBC show. His most recent book is "
A Decent Life: Morality for the Rest of Us," published in 2019. In addition
to his academic work, he teaches in a local prison and has organized both inside
and outside the university, for instance opposing the university administration's
public silence on such important issues as racism on campus and the Muslim ban.
May is also a regular contributor to "The Stone" column of The New York Times.