2024 Undergraduate Ethics Conference: Saturday, February 17th
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 Jonathan Gingerich, Associate Professor of Law, Rutgers
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.
Conference Schedule
Saturday, February 17, 2024
| 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 | Antropology 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 |
Undergraduate Conference & Journal Presenters
Benedict Loo U-Hui '25
National University of Singapore
Erica Esterly '24
United States Military Academy at West Point
William Bray '26
Washington and Lee University