The New Mexico State University philosophy department will continue its speaker series with an internationally known expert in global ethics. Jay Drydyk, professor of philosophy at Carlton University in Canada, will discuss how philosophical work can provide practical insight into the world's problems. The talk, which is the second to last segment in the series, will begin at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in Breland Hall Room 172.
"Professor Drydyk is a talented interdisciplinary scholar with worldwide recognition," said Lori Keleher, assistant professor of philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences. "I have seen him give talks in Italy, France, Spain, India, Uganda and in the United States, and I'm thrilled that he will be speaking here in Las Cruces."
Drydyk is interested in how human rights, justice and democracy can be understood from global and cross-cultural perspectives. With Peter Penz, he co-edited "Global Justice, Global Democracy," which explores the meanings of justice and democracy in the face of globalization. Working with colleagues in India, he has studied ethical risks that arise when development displaces people and their communities.
His current project, "Global Ethics, Capabilities, and Human Rights," examines the capacity of diverse moral outlooks to reach agreement on practical conclusions, including the right to development. He won a Carleton University Teaching Achievement Award in 2002. He is a former President of the International Development Ethics Association. In 2007 he was elected a Fellow of the Human Development and Capability Association.
The talk is free and open to the public. For more information contact Keleher at lkeleher@nmsu.edu.