The department of philosophy has a focused research interest in practical ethics. Rather than approaching ethics in
an overly abstract way, or in an "applied" fashion that is divorced from ethical and political theory, core ethics
faculty at USC are sensitive to the demands of both theory and practice. In addition, they are concerned with both
contemporary work in ethics, and historical traditions of ethical thought. The department has particular strengths
in the following: contemporary ethical theory; natural law theory; bioethics and the philosophy of medicine; and
environmental ethics. In addition, there is a strong interest among core ethics faculty in issues at the intersection
of ethics and metaphysics, such as the ontology of disease and health, the metaphysics of embryogenesis, and the
nature of human action. Several faculty also are currently engaged in research that considers the societal and
ethical implications of nanotechnology.
Philosophy Graduate Faculty
Davis Baird (PhD Stanford, Louise Scudder Frye Professor, Philosophy, and
Dean of USC's Honor College) pursues research on the
interactions between new technologies and society, including the ethical and political dimensions of
these interactions. This research has focused on nanotechnology, and the university/commercial sector
interactions.
Tom Burke (PhD Stanford, Associate Professor, Philosophy) works in American
philosophy, with an interest in human origins and the impact of naturalistic accounts of human nature on traditional conceptions of
human rationality and morality.
Kevin Elliott (PhD Notre Dame, Assistant Professor, Philosophy) attempts to
integrate insights from practical ethics and from the philosophy of science in an effort to address
contemporary environmental and biomedical controversies. His current work focuses especially on
developing strategies for responding to scientific uncertainty concerning the low-dose biological
effects of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals.
Jerry Hackett (PhD Toronto, Professor and Chair, Philosophy)
is interested in the history of ethics, especially medieval and modern, and the interaction
of Stoic and Aristotelian theories of virtue. He is also concerned with the relationship
between ethics and public life.
Ann Johnson (PhD Princeton, Philosophy and History)
teaches engineering ethics and am interested in "descriptive" ethics (in distinction to the more common normative ethics).
That is, researching--within the engineering professions--the existing and accepted spaces for ethical discussion, systems
and modes of ethical decision-making, and the ways ethical concerns--from microethical concerns like bribe-taking to macroethical concerns like social justice--are accepted into the professional structure of engineering, through dimensions like reward structures and questions of professional autonomy.
George Khushf (PhD Rice, Associate Professor, Philosophy) conducts research in bioethics.
Much of his work concerns the interface of science and values, and the ways deeper philosophies of life inform
medical research and practice. This includes work on how administrative and organizational factors (including
economics) influence standards of care, and how the meaning of "evidence-based practices" and "medical necessity"
changes with evolving health systems. George has also been conducting research on ethical issues integral to emerging
technologies, including embryo research and stem cells, nanomedicine, and the human/machine interface.
Matthew Kisner (PhD UC San Diego, Assistant Professor,
Philosophy) has interests in the history of ethics and political philosophy, particularly during the early modern period.
Matt has published on problems with Hobbes' account of the covenant. He is currently embarking on a research project devoted
to Spinoza's view of freedom, in both its ethical and political dimensions. He has taught courses in philosophy of the
emotions, as well as early modern ethics and political philosophy.
Konstantin Pollok (Dr. phil, Marburg,
Assistant Professor, Philosophy) works on Kant, the history
of science, and practical reasoning. His current reserach
focuses on Kant's theory of normativity.
Chris Tollefsen (PhD Emory, Associate Professor, Philosophy) works in the areas of meta-ethics,
normative ethics, and applied ethics. He has published articles on the nature of reasons for action, the nature of action, and the
nature of personhood, among other topics. Recent work is on the nature of intention, philosophical embryology, and the ethics of
inquiry.
Jerry Wallulis (PhD Notre Dame, Professor, Philosophy)
works in social and political philosophy.
Justin Weinberg (PhD Georgetown, Assistant Professor, Philosophy)
works in political and social philosophy. His current research addresses questions about the scope of justice and
who is responsible for it; the role of empirical information in normative theory; non-ideal theory; moral
experimentation; ethical questions about the future and future generations, especially in regard to new
technologies and social change.
Associated Faculty
Margaret Houck (PhD Georgetown, Visiting Faculty, Philosophy)
has interests in applied ethics, particularly medical ethics and environmental ethics. Research interests include ethical
issues in long term care and implications of attitudes toward the aged. She participates in HARC (Healthy Aging Research
Consortium) at USC.
Edward Munn (PhD Emory, Visiting Faculty, Philosophy) is
interested in the political and ethical issues surrounding new technologies, and the significance of claims to expertise
in public policy debates. He is also interested in contemporary political theory.
Hans von Rautenfeld (PhD UC San Diego, Visiting Faculty, Philosophy)
has interests in social and political philosophy, including democratic theory, political representation, liberalism, the public
sphere, and public reason. He is currently writing a book, Representatives of Opinion: Emerson and Democratic Deliberation,
that develops the thesis that when individuals engage in public deliberation, they speak as representatives of those others
with whom they share basic beliefs and judgments.
Several graduate students at USC have research interests in practical ethics, including
some who are currently working on dissertation projects in this area.
Heather Allen is interested in saving Kant's ethics from claims of abstract formalism. She sees Kant's
critical project, as a whole, as primarily a work in ethics and argues for materiality in Kant's ethical
philosophy in a way that allows for subjectivity, or individual agency. This also means arguing for a kind of naturalism in
Kant's critical philosophy vs. traditional claims of idealism.
Andrew Childress is interested in medical ethics.
Christian Hipp works in applied ethics.
Jonathan Krull is interested in Kierkegaard, and ethical theory.
Jeff Turner is interested in the ethics in the work of Aristotle, Nietzsche, John Dewey, Ludwig
Wittgenstein, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Richard Rorty.
As with the department generally, those who research and teach ethics are committed to the history of the discipline,
as well as to cultivating systematic thought. Students who choose Value Theory for an area of emphasis on the M.A.
or Ph.D. comprehensive exams are expected to have a working knowledge of some of the major texts in the history of
ethical theory: The Republic, The Nicomachean Ethics, Aquinas' Treatise on Law, and the moral writings of Hume, Kant,
and Mill. A course on twentieth century ethical theory is offered regularly, as are graduate seminars on topics of
figures in ethical theory: recent seminars have focused on moral objectivity, personal identity and ethics, and the
work of Alasdair MacIntyre (see below).
Recent Ph.D. dissertations and M.A. these in ethics include:
- 2006 (Ph.D.) Jeff Turner: MacIntyre and Modern Ethics (adv: Tollefsen)
- 2004 (M.A.) Todd Burkhardt: Just Cause in the Just War Tradition (adv: Tollefsen)
- 2003 (M.A.) Lara Shawky: Unity In Human Life: Narrative and the Basic Goods (adv: Tollefsen)
- 2003 (Ph.D.) Sara Shady: The Self in Community: Authentic Well-Being With Others (adv: Long)
- 2002 (Ph.D.) Andrew Cathcart: Freedom, Self-Knowledge, and Self-Deception: Problematic in the Thought of Kant, Hegel, and Kierkegaard (adv: Khushf)
Undergraduate courses range over ethical theory, and a variety of areas of applied ethics, including medical ethics,
engineering ethics, and environmental ethics. Graduate course offerings have included courses on twentieth century
ethical theory, medical and nursing ethics, narrative ethics, and contemporary political theory.
Recently offered courses by USC faculty include:
- The Ethics of Inquiry
- Bioethics and Politics
- Introduction to Ethics
- MacIntyre and Ethics
- Recent Ethical Theory
- Ethics and Identity
- Human Enhancements
- Medical Ethics
- Nanomedicine
- Ethics and the Health Professions
The Philosophy Department has an active Colloquium Series, which often includes talks and other activities
related to Practical Ethics. Recently (Spring 2005), the Department co-sponsored a major
conference on the ethical issues surrounding nano-technology.
Other Units on Campus
In addition to activities sponsored solely by the Department of Philosophy, there are other
units on campus with related activities.
- Center for Bioethics
- The USC Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities sponsors many activities, including a monthly luncheon in which faculty
present papers for discussion.
- USC Science Studies Group
- The Science Studies group on campus sometimes features activities (colloquia, workshops,
or conferences) on ewthic issues related to science, engineering, and technology.
- USC nanoCenter
- USC hosts a thriving nanoCenter, and an substantial part of it is devoted to the societal and ethical
implications of nano-technology. Several core HPS faculty are involved, in one way or another, with this
center, which has procured some major NSF grants.
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