'Open Mind' : A free collection of research on the mind, brain, and consciousness now available online.

The Mind Group, run by the University of Mainz-based philosophy professor Thomas Metzinger,  is an interdisciplinary group that fosters encounters between scholars and students in ethics and research. To commemorate their 20th meeting, the Mind Group has curated an online collection of innovative research on the mind and the brain, consciousness and the self.

The online collection includes contributions by internationally renowned researchers and advanced graduate and undergraduate students working in various fields, including philosophy, psychology, cognitive science and neuroscience.

The information is available freely online at open-mind.net and the full press release can be found here.

Davis and Laas present at the Second International Workshop on "The Construction of Engineering Ethics Without Borders."

On December 5, 2014, Dr. Michael Davis and CSEP Librarian Kelly Laas took part in the Second International Workshop on "The Construction of Engineering Ethics Education Without Borders" in Tokyo, Japan.

The conference centered on the work of the Japanese Society on Engineering Education's Research Committee on Engineering Ethics, who have developed an impressive set of learning objectives, teaching modules, and assessment/evaluation methods for engineering ethics education. These materials are meant to be used by the international community, and represent an extensive amount of work and input by JSEE and international collaborators. Along with sharing thoughts about how these materials may work in a U.S. setting, Dr. Davis and Ms. Laas shared information about the Center's experience in assisting engineering faculty in teaching ethics and the role a librarian can play in integrating ethics across the engineering curriculum.

From left top to right bottom, Kelly Laas, CSEP Librarian; Dr. Wen-ling Hong, Assistant Professor, Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering and Director, Center for STS, College of Ocean Engineering, National Kaosiung Marine University Taiwan; Dr. Hassan Bashir, Associate Professor , Director, and Founding of the Initiative in Professional Ethics, Texas A&M University at Qatar, D.r Jun Fudano, Chair, Research Committee on Engineering Ethics, JSEE Director, Applied Ethics Center for Engineering and Science , Kanazawa Institute of Technology; Dr. Dongjoo Song, Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeugnam University, and Dr. Micchael Davis, Senior Fellow, CSEP, Illinois Institute of Technology.

CSEP closed for IIT's Winter Break

The Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions will be closed from December 18-January 4th for IIT's winter break. We will reopen for normal business hours starting January 5th.

Seasons greetings to all of our friends and colleagues and we hope you have an excellent start to 2015!

Two-Year Research Position at CSEP

Illinois Institute of Technology’s Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (CSEP) invites applications for a two-year research position beginning in Fall 2015. The position is for a post-doctoral researcher or a Ph.D. student who has strong research interests in philosophical and ethical issues in neuroscience. The Ph.D. student must have finished his or her course work and have a Master’s degree or an equivalent. He or she will work within the two-year research project “Neuroethics – on the interplay between neuroscience and ethics” funded by the Swiss Cogito Foundation. The research project investigates philosophical and ethical implications of neuroscientific research. It focuses on the question of how far neuroscientific research results can serve as an adequate basis for arguments concerning moral judgment and ethical theory. Given the interdisciplinary character of the project, we especially welcome candidates with a research specialty both in philosophy/ethics and neuroscience. The salary is $39,000 per calendar year plus benefits.

Please send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, writing sample, and three letters of recommendation to ehildt@iit.edu . Inquiries may be directed to Elisabeth Hildt, Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3241 S Federal Street, Chicago, IL 60616.   

Email:  ehildt@iit.edu.   

Deadline:  January 31, 2015.  

Illinois Institute of Technology is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer committed to enhancing equity, inclusion and diversity within its community.  It actively seeks applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans and other underrepresented groups.  All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment.

IIT Ethics Bowl Competes in the Upper Midwest Regional Competition

On Saturday, November 15^th, the IIT Ethics Bowl Team participated in the Upper Midwest Regional Ethics Bowl Competition at Harper College in Palatine, IL. The team went head to head with some of the top ethics bowl teams in the Midwest, debating cases dealing with everything from animal rights to social justice issues.  Team members Gaby Sumampouw  ‘15, Reno Waswil, ‘17  and Aaron Truitt, ‘17. Congratulations to the IIT Ethics Bowl Team for their amazing performance!

If you are interested in becoming part of the team, visit our facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/IITethcisbowl) or send Kelly Laas an email at laas@iit.edu.

Ethics Lecture Advance Consent, Critical Interests & Dementia Research

Ethics Lecture: ADVANCE CONSENT, CRITICAL INTERESTS AND DEMENTIA RESEARCH

Ethics Lecture: ADVANCE CONSENT, CRITICAL INTERESTS AND DEMENTIA RESEARCH

Dr. Tom Buller

Illinois State University

November 10, 2014, 11:00 -12:30

MTCC Auditorium

Please join the Center for the Ethics in the Professions in a discussion about advance directives in the context of research. Although advance directives have become a familiar instrument within the context of treatment, there has been minimal support for their expansion into the context of research.  In this paper, Dr. Buller argues that the principle of precedent autonomy that grants a competent person the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment when later incompetent, also grants a competent person the right to consent to research than is greater than minimal risk. An examination of the principle of precedent autonomy reveals that a future-binding research decision is within the scope of a competent person’s critical interests, if the decision is consistent with what the person believes gives her life intrinsic value.

Tom Bulleris Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Illinois State University.  His main research interests are in Bioethics and Neuroethics.