Baylor and Georgetown Professors Will Lecture on Social Justice and the Nature of Man

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Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321
WACO, Texas (April 2, 2014) – The department of philosophy in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences will host two lectures Friday, April 4, with University of Georgetown theology professor Erin Cline, Ph.D., and Baylor Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Jonathan Kvanvig, Ph.D.
Cline, who received her doctorate in philosophy from Baylor in 2006, will present her lecture “Justice and the Family: A Rawlsian-Confucian Dialogue” from 1:25 to 2:15 p.m. in Room 205 of Morrison Hall, 1410 S. Fifth St. Then, from 3 to 4 p.m. in Room 108, Kvanvig will lecture on “Fundamental Normativity.”
Cline’s talk will examine the role of the family in relation to social justice, comparing the Confucian tradition to the work of the late American philosopher John Rawls, as she does in her first book, “Confucius, Rawls, and the Sense of Justice.” She argues that much can be learned about justice and the family through the comparative study of these very different thinkers.
Cline specializes in Chinese and comparative philosophy and religion, with a particular focus on early Chinese ethical, religious and political thought. Much of her work begins with the study of classical Chinese texts and brings traditional Chinese thought into conversation with contemporary Western ethics through comparative study.
During Kvanvig’s lecture, he will address the different natures of man.
"Human beings are rational animals, not in the sense of never being irrational, but in the sense of having a capacity at least occasionally displayed in thought and behavior,” he said.
The goal of his talk, he said, is to analyze “the descriptive realm of what people typically do, the normative realm of what they should or shouldn't do and the evaluative realm of what is good for them to do."
For more information on these lectures, contact Baylor’s department of philosophy at 254-710-3838.
by Rachel Miller, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
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Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.

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