Life is Better With Ethics Archive
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2023
Sandra Borden, director of Western Michigan University's Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, and Fritz Allhoff, professor in the Department of Philosophy and member of the Center's Advisory Board, joined host Alec Koppers on April 4, 2023, to discuss the benefits of studying ethics abroad. Borden spearheads a media ethics study abroad program in London, England. Allhoff runs an Arctic Security class in Iceland. For more information, visit Broncos Abroad.
Jonathan Milgrim, faculty specialist in the Department of Philosophy, and Alec Koppers, a second-year master's student in the same department, joined Madelyn Wallace, the intern for Western Michigan University's Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, on February 24, 2023. They talked about their upcoming talks on climate change, including the role ethics plays when it comes to nature and global issues more broadly. Produced and edited by McGwire HIdden.
Why should we care about conspiracy theories?
Thomas Stelzl, a lecturer in history education and American studies at the University of Passau in Germany, was at Western in Fall 2022 on a faculty exchange and gave a talk for the Ethics Center about conspiracy theories in Germany and the U.S. He rejoined Sandra L. Borden, director of the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, on January 26, 2023, to discuss conspiracy theories. What constitutes a conspiracy theory? How do they happen? How do we talk about them? And what can an international analysis offer to our understanding of them? Produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
In Fall 2022, Western Michigan University designed a course around the APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl competition. Students read moral philosophy revolving around public affairs and Ethics Bowl. Alec Koppers, who taught the class and coached the team, had a conversation on December 7, 2022, with three of the students who represented WMU in the competition: Emma Earl, Maureen Heuting and Marty Podvoll. Listen in as these students describe their experiences--with some saying that they became more independent people and others saying that they were just happy to re-examine their deeply held beliefs. Intro by Ellinor Tibbs. Produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
2022
Elissa Allen, assistant professor in the Bronson School of Nursing at Western Michigan University, and Nayeli Guandique-Benitez, a third-year student in the Bronson School of Nursing, joined Sandra L. Borden, director of the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, on November 23, 2022, for a conversation about nursing, medical error and the line between ethical responsibility and criminal liability. Produced and edited by McGwire Hidden.
2022 WINNIE VEENSTRA PEACE LECTURE
Acclaimed author Amitav Ghosh spoke with Ronald Kramer, professor of sociology at Western Michigan University, on April 12, 2022, for the Center's 2022 Winnie Veenstra Peace Lecture. Produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
DISPUTED MEMORIALS AND THE MORAL STANDARDS QUESTION
Ainsley Carry, vice-president for students, University of British Columbia in Vancouver (Canada), spoke with Sandra L. Borden, director of the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society at Western Michigan University, on April 5, 2022, as part of the Center's Spring 2022 lecture series. Produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
BUSINESS ETHICS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Timothy Palmer, WMU professor of management, spoke with Sandra L. Borden, director of the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society at Western Michigan University, on March 30, 2022, as part of the Center's Spring 2022 lecture series. Produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
VOLUNTEER TAX PREPARATION IN ALASKA
This program was recorded on March 28, 2022, with philosophy Professor Fritz Allhoff and WMU senior Jacob Grosan, who traveled to Anchorage as part of the Alaska Tax Program. The student team did taxes for approximately 200 rural households. How does this program help Alaskans from lower-income communities? What do students get out of this experience? Hosted, produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
Victoria Vuletich, CEO of Ethics2 in Grand Rapids, spoke with Sandra L. Borden, director of the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society at Western Michigan University, on March 14, 2022, as part of the Center's Spring 2022 lecture series.
This program was recorded on March 25, 2022. Our guests are Jeanine DeLay, president of A2Ethics, which coordinates the Michigan High School Ethics Bowl; Anna Kietzerow, a former member and coach of WMU's APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl team, now a Ph.D. student in philosophy at the University of Virginia; and Adam Waggoner, a Ph.D. student in philosophy at the University of Michigan, where he is an outreach coordinator for the Michigan High School Ethics Bowl. Hosted by Sandra L. Borden. Produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
business education and protecting the environment
This program was recorded on March 14, 2022, with Timothy Palmer, WMU professor of management and director of the Haworth College of Business’s Center for Sustainable Business Practices. What is sustainability, and why does it raise ethical questions? How have businesses come around to acknowledging a moral duty to protect the environment? Why is it especially important for business students to learn about sustainability? This interview previews themes in Dr. Palmer's ethics lecture on March 30, 2022. Hosted by Cara Walters. Produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
This program was recorded on February 17, 2022, with Alec Koppers, an M.A. student in Philosophy. What ethical issues are presented by the gamification of violence? How do users negotiate personal identity in digital spaces? What ethical responsibilities do game designers have? Hosted by Sandra L. Borden. Produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
2021
Ashley Atkins, assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University, chats about her talk "Empathy for the Dead" on October 11, 2021. Host: Olivia Moskot. Produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
2021 Winnie Veenstra Peace Lecture
Dursun Peksen, Dunavant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Memphis, spoke on April 5, 2021, about “Political Effectiveness, Negative Externalities, and the Ethics of Economic Sanctions.”
This program was recorded on October 28, 2021, with Rebecca Ginsburg, director of the Education Justice Project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Dale Brown, director of the Prison Education Outreach Program at Western Michigan University. Produced and edited by Alec Koppers.
Peter Loge, director of the Project on Ethics in Political Communication at The George Washington University, spoke with Sandra L. Borden, director of the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society at Western Michigan University, on November 4, 2021.
2020
In this episode, we discuss the ethical issues pertaining to concussions in the NFL, including notable former players with CTE and the future of the NFL. For more information about CTE, see this article from the Boston University CTE Center. Host: Chris Popovich
University of Kansas professor of humanities Devon Mihesuah delivers her Feb. 6, 2020, talk for the Ethics Center.
Ethical Issues in Sports Part 1
In this episode, we discuss ethical issues pertaining to sports, including cheating and whether student athletes should receive compensation. For more context on the Houston Astros scandal, see this story in Time magazine or this story from BleacherReport. Host: Chris Popovich
2019
Northern Illinois University professor of communication David J. Gunkel talks about his Oct. 23, 2019, talk for the Ethics Center. Host: Taylor Koopman
Western Michigan University assistant professor of philosophy Ashley Atkins chats about her Oct. 4, 2019, talk for the Ethics Center. Host: Taylor Koopman
University of Passau professor of international relations Bernhard Stahl delivers his Sept. 4, 2019, talk for the Ethics Center.
University of Passau professor of international relations Bernhard Stahl talks about his Sept. 4, 2019, talk for the Ethics Center. Host: Taylor Koopman.
Should Politicians Be Anxious?
Western Michigan University associate professor of philosophy Charlie Kurth chats about his March 12, 2019, talk for the Ethics Center. Host: Taylor Koopman.