On Friday, April 13th at 1:00 Dr. Robert Audi will deliver the keynote lecture at a conference titled "Politics Pluralism and Religion". The title of Dr. Audi's keynote lecture is "Religious Commitment and the Scientific Habit of Mind." The lecture will be given in Student Union Room #284. The public is invited to attend this lecture as well as the rest of the conference.
As part of the Politics, Pluralism and Religion conference there will a classical Indian music and dance program at 8:00pm on Friday evening, April 13th in the Hearth Lounge of the Student Union. The music and dance will be performed by members of Sangeet Mela from Calcutta, India. The group consists of three musicians, on sitar and other classical Indian instruments, and one dancer. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.
Friday, April 13th
All of Friday’s sessions will be held in MSU Student Union, Room #284.
SESSION A 8:00am – 9:30am
Chair: Chandana Chakrabarti, Society for Indian Philosophy & Religion, Elon University
(1) "The Importance of Pluralism: A Critique of Appiah"
Steve Weimer, Bowling Green State University
(2) " Anthony Appiah and Peter Winch on Traditional Religious Belief"
Richard Liebendorfer, Minnesota State University, Mankato
(3) "A Clarion Call to the Sages"
Linda B. Elder, Valdosta State University
SESSION B 9.30am – 11:00am
Chair: Linda Bennett Elder, Valdosta State University
(1) "Revisitng Plato's Cave: Democracy or Democrazy”
Chandana Chakrabarti, Society for Indian Philosophy & Religion and Elon University
(2) " Collective Practices and Collective Faith: An Account of Religious Experience in Kierkeggard, James, Dewey and Eagleton"
Apple Zefelius Igrek, Central Washington University
(3) " Hermeneutics and Political Liberalism”
David Rose, Newcastle University
SESSION C 11:00am – 12:00 noon
Chair: Gordon Haist, University of South Carolina at Beaufort
“Ethical Foundations of Euthanasia: A Hindu Perspective"
Kisor Chakrabarti, Society for Indian Philosophy & Religion, Duke University
SESSION D 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Chair: Richard Liebendorfer, Minnesota State University
“Religious Commitment and the Scientific Habit of Mind”
Professor Robert Audi Professor of Philosophy and David E. Gallo Professor of Business Ethics, University of Notre Dame
[Professor Audi will give two additional talks on Thursday, April 12th. Conference attendees are welcome at both. (1) At 3:00pm he will give a Philosophy Department Colloquium (AH 225) titled “Scepticism about the A Priori: Self Evidence, Defeasibility, and Cogito Propositions.” (2) At 7:30pm he will give the MSU Philosophy Department’s annual Business Ethics Lecture, “Religion in the Workplace: Sacred Right or Unwarranted Intrusion,” in Wiecking Auditorium in Wiecking Center]
SESSION E 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Chair: Douglas Huff, Gustavus Adolophus College
(1) "If the Gods of Gandhi and 21st Century Nobel Laureates are "Green," Why are not Religions"
Mary Lenzi, University of Wisconsin at Platteville
(2) "Pluralism, Hospitality and the State Exception"
Gordon Haist, University of South Carolina at Beaufort
(3) "Citizenship and Religious Expression"
Craig Matarrese, Minnesota State University, Mankato
(4) "Epistemic Obligations and Accountability"
Bruce Reichenbach, Augusburg College
SESSION F 4:30pm – 6:30pm
Chair: John Humphrey, Minnesota State University
(1) 'Religious Pluralism and Philosophical Naturalism: Prospects for a Meaningful Dialogue"
Eric Kraemer, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
(2) "Helping Others, Helping Ourselves: Dharma in the Defence of Altruism
Aditya Adarkar, Montclair State University
(3) "The Contentions over the Public Space: Reconsidering Religious and Secular Voices for Peace and Justice"
Daniel Oduro Sem, York University
(4) "Shamanism and Korean Politics"
Song-Chong Lee, Temple University
CULTURAL PROGRAM :
Classical Indian music and dance performed by members of Sangeet Mela from Calcutta, India
8:00 PM Friday
Hearth Lounge
MSU Student Union
SATURDAY, April 14
SESSION 1A 8:00am – 10:30am
MSU Student Union, Room #284
Chair: Brandon Cooke, Minnesota State University
(1) "Religion in the Public Sphere: The Rawls and Habermas Debate Revisited"
James W. Boettcher, Saint Joseph's University
(2) "Pluralist Ends VS. Pluralist Means: Sneaking Monism into Pluralism"
Robert Sharp, University of Alabama*
(3) "Theocratic Conservatism"
Ronald Yezzi, Minnesota State University, Mankato
(4) "Scientism and Spirituality"
Jonathan miller, Bowling Green State University
(5) “The New Christian in Contemporary American Politics"
Huilng Zhang, East China Normal University
University of Wisconsin, Madison
SESSION 1B 8:00am – 10:30am
MSU Student Union Room #204
Chair: Craig Matarrese, Minnesota State University
(1) "Religious Pluralism and Perspective Pluralism"
Edward Langerak, St.Olaf's college
(2) "Heavenly Politis and the Limits of Enlightenment: Hammann's Critique of Mendelssohn's Jerusalem"
Max Hammond, University of Chicago
(3) "Political Liberalism and John Rawls"
Nathaniel Sharadin, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
(4) "Religious Pluralism, the State and Politics: The Case of Hinduism in Trindidad"
Sherry Ann Singh, University of the West Indies, St, Augustine
(5) "Hard Time"
David Kast, Nicolet Area-Technical College in Rhinelander
SESSION 2 10:30am – 12:00 noon
MSU Student Union, Room #284
Chair: Cathryn Bailey, Minnesota State University
(1) "Faith and Reason in Indian Philosophy"
Peri Subbarayan, Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha
(2) "Justice, Religion and the Education of Children"
Mark Vopat, Youngstown State University
(3) "The Effects of Religious Culture on Regional Polices of Central Asia"
Ni Jianping, Shanghai Institute of American Studies
