
2018-2019: The Ethics of Identity
What is, and is not, a part of our “identity”? Can we choose our identities, or are our identities given to, or imposed upon, us? How do our identities constrain our freedom, and how do they enhance it? What role (if any) should our racial, ethnic, gender, sexual, biological, national, religious, cultural, and/or professional identities play in our individual and collective decision-making? Can our identities generate ethical obligations for us? What should we do when our identities come into conflict? Should the government play a role in fostering or supporting the development of (particular) identities? The aim of this year’s series is to explore these and related questions about “the ethics of identity.”