Volume 9: Spring 2024

This virtual conference, which is supported by Washington and Lee University’s Roger Mudd Center for Ethics, is the only open undergraduate conference in the country solely dedicated to the academic study of ethical issues. All accepted speakers will not only have the opportunity to present their papers at the conference, but also to have them published in the The Mudd Journal of Ethics.

Keynote: Professor Jonathan Gingerich, Associate Professor of Law, Rutgers
Talk Title: Play, Spontaneous Freedom, and the Avant-Garde

Professor Gingerich’s research explores ways in which moral and political philosophy can be enriched by attending to experiences that are often neglected in contemporary normative theory, such as experiences of spontaneity, artistic creativity, and cultural participation. He is developing a novel theory of freedom focused on the freedom of unplanned and unscripted activity, which he calls ‘spontaneous freedom’. When contemporary moral and political philosophers write about freedom, they are typically concerned with a sort of freedom that is required for a person to be morally responsible for their actions, a sort of freedom needed for autonomous choice, or else a sort of freedom that is conceptually connected to a state’s ability to claim legitimate authority. While these philosophical approaches all describe important varieties of freedom, none of them speak to the freedom of setting off to explore an unknown city, opening your sketchbook to a blank page, or quitting your job to take up a new vocation. Professor Gingerich has recently published articles in journals such as Ethics, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, and Yale Journal of Law and Technology; another is forthcoming in the William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal. Further information about Professor Gingerich’s research is available on his website. 

Papers

• Nudging and Paternalism: A Critical Examination of Their Permissibility and Potential Implications in Contemporary Policymaking. Benedict Loo U-Hui, National University of Singapore
• On Identity and Epistemological Understanding. Erica Esterly, United States Military Academy at West Point
• Can Objective Aesthetics be Used for Valuing Nature? William Bray, Washington and Lee University

Conference Schedule

Time	Presenter	Title
12:30-12:40 pm	Introductions
12:40-1:00 pm	Benedict Loo U-Hui ’25 National University of Singapore	"Nudging and Paternalism: A Critical Examination of Their Permissibility and Potential Implications to Contemporary Policymaking"
1:00-1:20 pm	Response and Discussion (Claire DiChiaro, W&L)
1:20-1:30 pm	Break
1:30-1:50 pm	Erica Esterly ’24 United States Military Academy at West Point	"On Identity and Epistemological Understanding"
1:50-2:10 pm	Response and Discussion (Sydney Smith and Amanda Tan, W&L)
2:10-2:20 pm	William Bray ’26 Washington and Lee University	"Can Objective Aesthetics be Used for Valuing Nature"
2:40-3:00 pm	Response and Discussion (Natalie Eger, W&L)
3:00-3:10 pm	Break
3:10-4:10 pm	Keynote: Professor Jonathan Gingerich	"Play, Spontaneous Freedom, and the Avant-Garde"
4:10 pm	Closing Remarks

Editorial Board

Name	Field of Study
Margaret Thompson ‘24 Editor in Chief	Cognitive & Behavioral Science Law, Justice & Society and Philosophy
Amanda Tan ’26 Associate Editor	Cognitive & Behavioral Science and Business Administration
Bella Devraj ‘25	Neuroscience and Philosophy
Claire DiChiaro ‘26	English and Strategic Communications
Elias Malakoff ‘25	Religion
Margaret Witkofsky ’24	Religion Law, Justice & Society and French
Natalie Eger ’27	Anthropology and Math
Rebecca Nason ’25	Politics Data Science and East Asian Studies
Saaraim Nunez ‘27	Philosophy and Accounting
Siya ’27	Economics and Math
Sydney Smith ’24	Biology Poverty and Human Capability Studies
Teresa Yoon ’26	Accounting and Studio Art
Watson Deacon ’24	English Philosophy