Author Talks on Ethics

Alex Voorhoeve, who has written on equality and responsibility and the theory of rational choice, advocated dialogue form over “monologic” writing as a means of grappling with tough ethical questions in a panel discussion held last night at the Barker Center.

Speaking to an audience with a background in the humanities and social sciences, Voorhoeve, a former fellow at the University’s Center for Ethics, focused primarily on issues raised in his new book, “Conversations on Ethics.”

Voorhoeve, a senior philosophy lecturer at the London School of Economics, argued that addressing philosophical questions with traditional written monologue is inadequate primarily because there is “no back-and-forth.”

The philosopher’s ability to respond to misinterpretations and unforeseen objections is hampered, and the reader becomes “indolent and passive” in a way that “thwarts learning,” he said.

But Voorhoeve acknowledged the natural advantages of writing—namely the opportunity to craft a well-formed argument in advance—and argued that the hybrid of written dialogue is most effective, citing his interviews with notable philosophers in his book.

Turning to the audience, Voorhoeve asked his book’s three central questions—whether moral intuition could be trusted, if moral judgements were objective, and why an individual should be moral.

Two other panelists, Harvard Kennedy School professor Frances Kamm and philosophy professor Thomas Scanlon—both interviewed by Voorhoeve for his book—expanded on the methodology of seeking ethical answers.

The book’s photographer, Steve Pyke, also shared a slideshow of his black and white, close-up photographs taken of philosophers in natural light.

Rod Kessler ’71, an audience member and an English professor at Salem State College said that he enjoyed learning about philosophy from an outsider’s perspective.

“I saw how their language stops being abstract and becomes very narrative,” he said, pointing to the use of hypothetical stories to prove a point.