Please join us on October 15, 2015, 12:30-1:45 p.m. for our Faculty Luncheon/Lecture series talk featuring Professor Suzy Killmister (Philosophy). Her talk is entitled: “Doing What We Want”.
One of the founding principles of liberalism is that we must respect a person’s autonomy: individuals are entitled to act as they please, without outside intervention, provided they do no harm to others. Recently, a number of philosophers and political scientists have advocated for the practice of ‘nudging’. That is, manipulating the social environment in ways that predictably increase the likelihood that individuals will opt for better actions than they otherwise would, such as eating healthier food, or saving for retirement. In this talk I explore the tension between these two positions, paying particular attention to what it means for an action to be autonomous, and whether nudging could ever enhance an individual’s autonomy.
Suzy Killmister is Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department and the Human Rights Institute. Her research is primarily in social and political philosophy, with current projects on the concept of personal autonomy, and the concept of dignity. This talk is drawn from her current book project, Taking Autonomy’s Measure.
The talk will take place at the Humanities Institute, Austin Building, Room 301.
Lunch is provided and space is limited. Please contact us at uchi@uconn.edu or 486-9057 to reserve a seat.
One of the founding principles of liberalism is that we must respect a person’s autonomy: individuals are entitled to act as they please, without outside intervention, provided they do no harm to others. Recently, a number of philosophers and political scientists have advocated for the practice of ‘nudging’. That is, manipulating the social environment in ways that predictably increase the likelihood that individuals will opt for better actions than they otherwise would, such as eating healthier food, or saving for retirement. In this talk I explore the tension between these two positions, paying particular attention to what it means for an action to be autonomous, and whether nudging could ever enhance an individual’s autonomy.
Suzy Killmister is Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department and the Human Rights Institute. Her research is primarily in social and political philosophy, with current projects on the concept of personal autonomy, and the concept of dignity. This talk is drawn from her current book project, Taking Autonomy’s Measure.
For more information, contact: Dorothy Lustig at uchi@uconn.edu