FREE Online, Thursdays October-March • 7:30pm EST
Explore influential ethical thinking, traditions, and systems from around the world–and the philosophical influences on Ethical Humanism–at our new free online philosophy series!
Sessions will be hosted exclusively on Zoom, October through March, on Thursday evenings at 7:30 EST. More sessions will be announced soon!
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The Philosophy of Ethics w/ Joe Chuman
3 Sessions: October 24, 31, November 7
This three-part series will discuss the fundamental ways to understand ethics that can help us think through the process of decision-making. Among the approaches presented will be deontology, or a commitment to duty; utilitarianism, which involves measuring pleasure and pain; and virtue ethics, which describes the ethics of human flourishing and how to live a good life. We will relate ethical concepts to the foundations of Ethical Culture. Each session will provide a brief introduction and ample opportunity for discussion.
Dr. Joe Chuman is a Leader of the New York Society for Ethical Culture and has served as an Ethical Culture Leader for 50 years. He has a PhD in the philosophy of religion from Columbia University, where he taught courses in human rights and history of Western thought in its Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Joe has also taught philosophy and ethics in the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, Fairleigh Dickinson University and William Paterson University.
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The Art of Happiness w/ Arthur Dobrin
4 Sessions: November 14, 21, December 5, 12
This series IS a guided reading of Arthur Dobrin‘s book The Lost Art of Happiness. Among the topics discussed will be the relation of happiness to ethics, the nature of social relations, the role of beauty, and confronting the reality of death.
Dr. Arthur Dobrin is Leader Emeritus of the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island. He holds a doctorate from Adelphi University and served as a professor of Humanities at Hofstra University where he taught applied ethics. Arthur is the author of over 25 books, and The Lost Art of Happiness was written to offer an underlying philosophy for Ethical Culture.
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Leading Humanist Thinkers: Dewey, Camus, and the Existentialists w/ David Sprintzen
4 Sessions: January 16, 23, 30, February 6
This four-part series will focus on thinkers who have influenced the humanistic outlook of Ethical Culture. Since the death of Felix Adler, Ethical Culture’s founder, the implicit underlying philosophy animating Ethical Culture has been the thought of John Dewey. This series will explain the basis of Dewey’s ethical thought and how it relates to our social role in democracy. Two sessions will be devoted to the humanism of Albert Camus, with a nod to existential thought and how it can be used for ethical decision-making.
Dr. David Sprintzen is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Long Island University. He is an expert on the thought of John Dewey and published two books on Albert Camus. He is currently completing a book that proposes a philosophical defense of free will. David is a longtime member of the Long Island Ethical Humanist Society. An activist, David was the founder and, for 20 years, the president of the Long Island Progressive Coalition.
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Non-Western Ethics: Africa, India, China, and Japan w/ Joe Palau
4 Sessions: February 13, 20, 27, March 6
This four-party series will explore influential ethical thought, traditions, and systems from around the world.
Dr. Joe Palau holds a PhD. in philosophy from Binghamton University. Joe ran the New York Society’s Sunday School program and served as Head of Ethics for the Ethical Culture Fieldston School. As member of the Northern Westchester Society, he served on its board and taught at the Ethical Culture Lay Leadership program in North Carolia. Today, Joe teaches ethics and first-year philosophy at Southern New Hampshire University.
