Philosophy Colloquium with Dr. Phil Mouch next Wednesday
Philosophy Colloquium (Refreshments will be served.)
Dr. Phil Mouch (Dept of Philosophy, MSUM) is going to give his colloquium on Wednesday, April 23, at 4:20 p.m. (MacLean Hall 165). His topic is “The Myth of Self-Defense.” The following is a synopsis of his talk:
Two things are very clear from any survey of the relevant moral literature: taking life is generally wrong, and taking a life in self-defense (when necessary) is generally permissible. These two claims are usually accepted without question, but it is easy to see that they are not unrelated. At the very least, the second serves as an exception to the first. I suspect it is more than that for most of us; it seems likely that the first is in the back of our minds when we assert the second. Yet, there are genuine questions for how killing in self-defense is morally justified. This paper will consider two recent attempts to justify killing in self-defense and raise objections for each, with the ultimate conclusion being that more work needs to be done on this issue.
All are welcome. Please let Dr. Chang-Seong Hong know if you have any questions (cshong@mnstate.edu).