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Faculty Panel Discussions Continue April 19 and 20
West side view of the United States Capitol building.
How is democracy faring in 21st century America? What about the long accepted standards of civil behavior and ethical conduct? Do Americans still believe in the power of scientific discovery?
A group of Furman University professors will address those issues and more when they participate in a series of panel discussions that will take place on and off campus during March and April. All of the six events for “Our Republic … For Which It Stands,” are free and open to the public.
Conference I, “Democracy: A Process, Not an Accomplishment,” will begin March 14-15 at the Triune Mercy Center in Greenville. Furman historians will discuss “American Laws and American Values” on Tuesday, March 14, and the university’s political scientists will speak on “Aspects of Domestic and International Politics” Wednesday, March 15. Both events begin at 7 p.m.
Conference II, “Morality and Ethics in Times of Uncertainty,” will feature professors from the Religion, Philosophy and English departments. The events will take place March 26 at First Baptist Church of Greenville and March 30 at Furman. Conference III, “Understanding the Value of Science in an Uncertain World,” will feature professors from the Psychology, Biology and Earth and Environmental Sciences departments. It will be held April 19-20 on the Furman campus.
“There is widespread concern today about the state of American democracy and democratic culture,” said Akan Malici, a professor of Politics and International Affairs at Furman and one of the organizers of the event series. “There is also much concern about our morals and our ethics and whether we are distancing ourselves from our ideals and our responsibilities as citizens. As Furman professors, we believe we have a public responsibility in regard to these issues, which is why we are presenting these panel discussions.”
Here is the complete schedule of events:
“Our Republic …. For Which It Stands”
Conference 1: Democracy: A Process, Not an Accomplishment
March 14, 7 pm: American Laws and American Values. Triune Mercy Center, Sanctuary.
Steve O’Neill, Lane Harris, Savita Nair, Diane Vecchio, Lloyd Benson (Department of History)
March 15, 7 pm: Aspects of Domestic and International Politics: A Discussion with Political Scientists. Triune Mercy Center.
Liz Smith, Kate Kaup, Don Aiesi, Mike Bressler, Jim Guth (Department of Politics and International Affairs)
Conference II: Morality and Ethics in Times of Uncertainty
March 26, 3 pm: Is “Civil Discourse” Overrated? Biblical and Theological Perspectives on Deference and Respect for Authority. Greenville First Baptist Church (Fellowship Hall).
David Fink, Tim Wardle, Roger Sneed, Bryan Bibb (Department of Religion)
March 30, 7:30 pm: When Is It OK to Punch a Nazi? A Panel Discussion on Symbolic Violence and Civil Disobedience. Furman University, Furman Hall 214 (McEachern).
Sarah Worth (Philosophy), David Fink (Religion), Melinda Menzer (English), Erik Anderson (Philosophy)
Conference III: Understanding the Value of Science in an Uncertain World
April 19, 7 pm: Think You Know What You Know? Understanding Constraints on Human Perception and Reasoning. Furman University, Daniel Recital Hall.
Gil Einstein, Cinnamon Stetler, Beth Pontari (Department of Psychology)
April 20, 7 pm: Seeing the Science in Our Lives: The Value of Basic and Applied Research. Furman University, Daniel Recital Hall.
John Quinn (Biology), Adi Dubash (Biology), Ruth Aronoff (Earth and Environmental Sciences)