Ethics Unit
This year the Ethics Unit welcomes proposals on the following themes:
Freedom and Responsibility Revisited
Abraham Joshua Heschel famously wrote, “In a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.” In keeping with this year’s presidential theme, the Ethics Unit welcomes proposals that examine the relationship between freedom and responsibility. We are especially interested in papers that approach this question comparatively—either comparing between religious traditions or cultural contexts—as well as papers that center on people are not free or who have their agency constrained.
Media and Social Media
A recent Pew study reports that 54% of Americans sometimes receive news from social media, and more than half of TikTok and X users say they rely on these platforms to stay informed. By contrast, in 2024, 10% of Washington Post readers unsubscribed to protest the newspaper’s decision not to endorse a presidential candidate, and the mainstream media has been a frequent target of right-wing rhetoric. How should we interpret and respond to these cultural shifts? We welcome papers that address the ethics of journalism, social media, (mis)information, and the concept of a free press. (Papers do not need to focus on the United States).
The 2024 film Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. ignited criticism from scholars who argued that it distorts Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s legacy and promotes a message at odds with his writings. Similar criticism has been levied at Gandhi (1982), Confucius (2010), Hannah Arendt (2012), and Restless Heart: The Confessions of Saint Augustine (2012). Do the authors who belong on ethics syllabi also belong on the silver screen? What are the benefits and dangers of looking to the lives of philosophers and theologians for inspiration and entertainment? How have storytellers done this responsibly or irresponsibly in the past, and what lessons can be learned from analyzing their efforts? Should kids watch cartoons about al-Ghazali courageously writing the Ihya, or is Heidegger right that “he lived, he worked, he died” is all we need to know about Aristotle’s life?
[Co-sponsored with the Religion, Film, and Visual Culture Unit]
The Anthropocene and Religious Ethics
Twenty-five years ago, Paul Crutzen popularized the term “Anthropocene” to refer to the epoch in which humanity has had a significant impact on the earth’s geology and ecology. Crutzen’s article contained a dire warning but also a note of hope, suggesting that humans could pursue “careful manipulation and restoration of the natural environment." The Ethics Unit invites proposals on the subject of the Anthropocene and religious ethics, and we welcome proposals engaging with a wide variety of religious and ethical traditions.
The Ethics Unit seeks to serve the AAR by providing a forum for scholarly engagement with the ethical dimensions and implications of religious traditions.