Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2013, Philosophy, Applied

My dissertation aims to solve a puzzle, a paradox, and a problem. The puzzle is to explain why people act in uncharacteristic (i.e., seemingly cruel) ways in a number of social psychological experiments, such as Stanley Milgram's obedience experiment, in which 65% of the participants complied with the experimenter's demands to issue a series of increasingly powerful "shocks" to an unwilling recipient. I argue that owing to features of the experimental design participants were made to feel: out of their element, confused, disoriented, pressured, intimidated, and acutely distressed, and that the "experimenter" (actually a confederate) exploited these factors, which is the central reason why the majority of participants complied with his demands despite being reluctant to do so. The paradox is that, although ordinary people seem to be good, bad, or somewhere in between, evidence (again from social psychology) seems to suggest that most people would behave deplorably on many occasions and heroically on many others. This, in turn, suggests the paradoxical conclusion that most people are indeterminate—i.e., no particular character evaluation appears to apply to them. I argue to the contrary that the social psychological evidence fails to support the claim that people would behave deplorably on many occasions. Milgram's participants, for example, faced extenuating circumstances that should mitigate the degree to which they were blameworthy for their actions, and this, in turn, challenges the claim that they behaved deplorably. The problem is that no existing theory has been able to adequately account for the connection between possessing certain character traits and performing certain actions. Commonsense suggests that there is a connection between, for instance, being a truthful person and telling the truth, but it has been challenging for philosophers to capture precisely what the connection is in an empirically defensible way. I argue that there is a strong (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Daniel Jacobson (Committee Chair); David Shoemaker (Committee Member); Christian Coons (Committee Member); Judith Zimmerman (Committee Member) Subjects: Philosophy

Master of Arts in Medical Ethics and Humanities, Northeast Ohio Medical University, 2023, College of Graduate Studies

My thesis explores the concept of dual loyalties among military physicians and proposes a more thorough integration of virtue ethics in the military. The ethical principles and values embodied in virtue ethics theory align with the foundational mission and purpose of the military, but their implementation of the theory remains incomplete. The proposed framework for military medical ethics combines both virtue theory and duty-based ethics, with an emphasis on the former. While duty-based ethics are important, this framework recognizes the importance of virtuous character traits to help military physicians navigate dual loyalties. The aim is to ensure that duties are nested in a way that enables the actualization of moral virtues. By prioritizing the development of virtuous character traits, military physicians can better fulfill their duties in a manner that aligns with virtuous character. The military and medical profession share a commitment to ensuring that military physicians uphold high moral standards by being people of good character. Despite the military's appreciation for virtue ethics, there are instances where its application falls short which may be due to various factors like a lack of emphasis on character development in training or a focus on rules and regulations over virtuous conduct. My thesis seeks to create a more robust ethical framework for military medical ethics that combines duties, rules, and regulations with the development of virtuous character to prevent misconduct and distress among military physicians. By incorporating a more comprehensive virtue ethics theory into military medical ethics education and development, military physicians can develop a deeper understanding of how to act virtuously in challenging situations, even when the duties, rules, and regulations may not explicitly guide their behavior.

Committee: Julie Aultman Ph.D. (Advisor); Brian Harrell (Committee Member); Matthew Arbogast Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Ethics; Medical Ethics; Military Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2019, Educational Leadership

In this project, I examine the theoretical and practical arenas in terms of the conceptualization, implementation, and pedagogy of moral character. The fundamental concern is embodied in the reductive fallacy and the conceptual blurriness between moral character and moral virtue facing extant moral character definitions, as well as the attribution error and confirmation bias (Harman, 2000) for empirical measurements of moral character. The review of contemporary literature confirms but does not provide conceptually concrete and structurally holistic solutions to the fundamental problems diagnosed above. So I dive deep into the four legendary philosophers, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, and Dewey to explore how they conceptualize experiential moral character in terms of the five dimensions of its forming logical structure (i.e., distinct appearances, intrinsic motivations, operative strengths, active self-agency, and awakened supreme moral principles). Through reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of historic conceptualizations by the four philosophers, I re-conceptualize experiential moral character based on the Body-Heart-Mind-Soul model. In the end, I briefly analyze the three areas in which experiential moral character can be applied: empirical measurements in research, experiential moral character education intervention or practice, and self-meditation practice.

Committee: Kathleen Knight Abowitz (Advisor); Joel Malin (Committee Member); Thomas Poetter (Committee Member); Aimin Wang (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2015, Higher Education (Education)

Character development is a central function of higher education. This phenomenological study describes Black women's personal lived experiences with character development and ethical leadership development at Spelman College, America's oldest historically Black college for women. The following research question guided the study: How do students at a historically Black women's college describe their experiences with character development and ethical leadership development? The study also explored student's thoughts about the academic and co-curricular programs that best prepared them to be ethical leaders. Interviews were conducted with 10 graduating seniors from the Class of 2014 Women of Excellence Leadership (WEL) series offered by the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at Spelman College. Eight alumnae members of the WEL program were also interviewed to provide their thoughts about character development and ethical leadership development. Participants were asked to share the learning and skills they attributed to their experiences as undergraduate students and campus leaders. Finally, the Director of the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement was interviewed to provide an administrative perspective on character development and ethical leadership development. The theory referenced in this study is Gilligan's (1988) work on women's development which illustrates that women are more concerned with care, relationships, and connections with other people as they engage in moral and ethical development. The findings of this study suggest that a supportive environment and expectations for success, educational programs that focus on conscious Black feminist-activist development, opportunities to become leaders and learn about leadership, and faculty and alumnae interaction, mentoring and support influence character development and ethical leadership development of students at Spelman College. In addition, the participants shared expectations (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Peter Mather Dr. (Committee Chair); Gordon Brooks Dr. (Other); David Horton Dr. (Committee Member); Valerie Martin Conley Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: African Americans; Black Studies; Ethics; Gender; Higher Education; Womens Studies

MEd, University of Cincinnati, 2001, Education : Educational Foundations

This thesis analyzes the major theories of moral development and how they apply to public schooling in America. The importance of morality among children is discussed as an eminent need. Social Learning, Psychoanalytical, and Cognitive Developmental theories are discussed. Because it is contrary to the purpose of studying morality to have so many theories, an integrated theory is described. The practical application of this theory for American public schools is presented in the format of a presentation. This presentation is intended to be a professional development seminar for educators. Many examples of implementation are given, both school-wide and classroom specific, which reach across curriculums.

Committee: Dr. Suzanne Soled (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Sociology of

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2011, College of Education

This dissertation focused on teachers' reasons of why they were willing or reluctant to have discussions of a controversial nature. This dissertation used vignettes in an emergent grounded theory approach. Interviews and focus groups consisted of eight male and 27 female middle school teachers in central Ohio. A division of teachers into two groups of willing and reluctant revealed numerous findings. Willing teachers employed teachable moments through educationally relevant discussions and understood adolescents' struggles through moral development. Reluctant teachers resented the lack of teaching time or were uncomfortable with controversial discussions in their classrooms. The results of this research recommended that teacher education programs provide additional information about moral developmental of middle school students.

Committee: Carla Edlefson PhD (Committee Chair); David Kommer EdD (Committee Co-Chair); Carl Walley PhD (Committee Member); Robert Thiede PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Middle School Education