Dr. Cagle presents colloquium on moral progress
Wednesday, March 25 | 4:30 p.m. | MacLean 167
Dr. Randy Cagle, Philosophy, will present his colloquium on Wednesday, March 25, at 4:30 p.m. (MacLean Hall 167). His talk is titled “A Kantian Issue for Today: Affirming Moral Progress in a Time of Apparent Regress.” The following is a synopsis of his colloquium:
Best-selling author Steven Pinker stirred much controversy when he published Enlightenment Now last year, a spirited defense of Enlightenment values and beliefs, including moral progress—the idea that the human race as a whole is getting increasingly better over time morally. In an age of deep suspicion about the viability and uses of ‘metanarratives,” how can such a view be defended? My colloquium addresses a neglected area of Immanuel Kant’s philosophy, his doctrine of human moral progress and its relation to his wide moral, metaphysical, and epistemological doctrines. I outline his view and defense of moral progress and show how it is an important part of his philosophical project. I consider how Kant’s views might engage this contemporary debate.
All are welcome. Please contact Dr. Chang-Seong Hong at cshong@mnstate.edu for further information.