2009 in Review

Empathy

Scholars in many fields have suggested the importance of empathy in our lives and have stressed its role in helping to hold societies together. Some have emphasized how it can help humans and other primates care for others and identify with those who are not only similar but-more importantly-different. Empathy is often cited as essential to effective interactions in personal, political, and professional life. Yet empathetic feelings are continually challenged by a variety of factors, ranging from countervailing biological instincts to a growing acceptance of violence in contemporary culture. Empathy may also be a flickering feeling, as the rich and ambiguous history of concepts of empathy, pity, and sympathy since Aristotle demonstrates.

In recent years, examinations of empathy have advanced into the center of several humanistic and scientific disciplines. Neuroscientists now study mirror-neurons in order to better understand bases for pre-rational intersubjective understanding. Biologists examine the advantage that comes with understanding a rival. Social scientists question what kind of bonds empathy provide and whether they can contribute to social stability. Psychologists ask how empathy is acquired and whether a lack of empathy explains some undesirable conduct. Philosophers have probed its role in everything from moral judgment and motivation to our concern with our own future interest. Scholars of religion and culture examine distinct modes of empathy in different societies. Historians probe the varying ways in which people respond to images and representations of war and tragedy.

This year-long workshop will discuss the latest insights on empathy and their implications for various areas and disciplines. Experts from a range of fields will suggest, through a series of six discussions, what their specific knowledge could mean for scholars in other fields. Participants will contribute to discussions, meet with invited scholars, and make presentations at the three workshop meetings per semester. See Empathy for further details.

The Empathy Workshop is jointly sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Study and the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions. Additional support is provided by the Center for the Study of History and Memory.

Ethical Guidance for Research and Application of Pervasive and Autonomous Information Technology (PAIT)

March 3-4, 2010, Cincinnati, Ohio
Made possible by the National Science Foundation (grant number SES-0848097), Indiana University's Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions and the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics.

"Ethical Guidance for Research and Application of Pervasive and Autonomous Information Technology (PAIT)" is a two-day workshop to be held on March 3-4, 2010. The workshop will be a culminating event following a year-long process of planning, case development and analysis, and networking among information technology engineers and researchers, ethicists, and other interested persons. See PAIT for further details.

Neuroethics: Ethical and Social Implications of Neuroscience

Neuroethics is a new area of scholarly activity, looking at ethical and social issues raised by the research and clinical applications of new technologies that deliver increasingly detailed information about brains and their activities.

Brian Schrag, the executive director of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, and Colin Allen, from the Cognitive Science Program and the History and Philosophy of Science Department at IU, have received a New Frontiers in Arts and Humanities grant from the IU Office of the Vice Provost for Research to explore the ethics issues raised by the new research in neuroscience.

The grant provides funding for four or five speakers in 2009-2010. See Neuroscience for details of upcoming lectures and for audiostreams of the completed lectures.

Research Ethics

Teaching Research Ethics

Kenneth D. Pimple, Director of Teaching Research Ethics Programs, directs the annual Teaching Research Ethics Workshop (TRE), with Glenda Murray serving as coordinator. The workshop is supported by university sponsors and registration fees. The sixteenth annual program was May 12-15 at the Indiana Memorial Union, with 38 participants. See TRE for further information.

Responsible Conduct of Research Workshops for Postdoctoral Fellows

Ken Pimple led three workshops in the spring of 2009 and one in the fall of 2009 on the responsible conduct of research. The workshops were for postdoctoral fellows at IU Bloomington.

Lectures and Seminars

Matthew Vandivier Sims Lecture

The Poynter Center coordinates the Matthew Vandivier Sims Memorial Lecture each year. Margaret Mohrmann from the University of Virginia spoke on "Bioethics for Babies: Are There Guidelines for the Perplexed?" The lecture was audio-streamed by IU and is available at our web site, 2009 Lecture. Professor Mohrmann and Damon Sims also met with students from the Hutton Honors College and Wells Scholars Program. More information about the Sims Lecture is at Sims Lecture.

Health Care Ethics Seminars

The Health Care Ethics Seminars provide interaction between the campus and the community. Robert Crouch, Research Assistant, coordinated the 2009 series. More information about the Healthcare Ethics series is at Healthcare Ethics Seminars.

Poynter Center Roundtables

The Poynter Center hosts a series of presentations by IU faculty to highlight recent work in ethics and democratic life and culture. See Poynter Center Roundtable for more information.

Co-hosting other Lectures and Programs

As a part of the Lincoln Bi-Centennial, the Poynter Center co-hosted a visit from Keith Erekson from University of Texas-El Paso in February. In March we co-sponsored the annual community Women's History Lunch, whose theme was about the environment. Lisa Sideris, Religious Studies, spoke on Rachel Carson and a sense of wonder.

The Ethics, Philosophy and Politics in the Study of Religion Workshop met monthly at the Poynter Center. The group includes a number of Poynter Center staff and students and faculty from Religious Studies and Philosophy.

Other Events

Ethics Bowl

The Indiana University Poynter Center Ethics Bowl Team placed in the Midwest Regional in fall 2008 and won the Fifteenth Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl March 2009 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The competition is held each year in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. The day-long competition is held as a method of involving students in viewing difficult situations from a variety of ethical perspectives. The team selected in fall 2009 placed in the regional and will be competing in the Sixteenth Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl in March 2010 in Cincinnati. See Ethics Bowl for more information.

Undergraduate Research Stipend Program

In 2006 the Poynter Center launched a program to offer up to $200 in research stipend to undergraduates who were addressing theoretical and applied ethics in coursework. We have awarded stipends to three students for the 2009-10 year. Each student will present a summary of his or her work in spring 2010. For more information on the program, see Research Stipends.

The Association for Practical and Professional Ethics

The Poynter Center and the Association continued their close association. See APPE for more information about the Association.

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