Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2023, Philosophy (Arts and Sciences)

In the meta-ethical debates about moral knowledge, there are many theoretical positions to consider. If one is to have an account of moral knowledge, that will inevitably be affected by how one thinks about knowledge in general. I will be transferring a general theory of knowledge and epistemic justification to the more specific domain of ethics, through the lens of epistemic fallibilism. My goal, in applying this epistemic framework to moral discourse, is to outline how moral fallibilism (my theory) can provide a unique and attractive account of moral knowledge. I will accomplish the application of epistemology to ethical theory by implementing Stewart Cohen's account of fallibilism (with its central notion of “relevance”), and by highlighting the aim and position of moral fallibilism by contrasting it with Mackie's error theory. Finally, I will illustrate moral fallibilism by applying it to contemporary moral concerns; the debate about abortion, in particular. Ultimately, I propose a fresh theory of moral knowledge that emphasizes the varying degrees of justification for our ethical beliefs while defending, at the same time, a moderate account of moral objectivity.

Committee: Christoph Hanisch (Advisor) Subjects: Epistemology; Ethics; Philosophy

MA, Kent State University, 2019, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Philosophy

While studying psychology is helpful in moral theorizing, we must ensure that it is done properly and that conclusions are not drawn too hastily. Joshua Greene uses research about how people make moral judgements as a part of his defense of utilitarianism. Greene claims that competing moral judgement systems create the tension between utilitarianism and deontology, a tension that has caused widespread moral disagreement. In this thesis, I will argue that Greene's dismissal of deontological moral theory is premature insofar as the relationship between the dual-process theory and moral theory is weak. In order to illustrate this, I begin by explicating Greene's argument as well as highlighting philosophical origins and presuppositions in his theory. Next, I examine the research applying Greene's method of study and model of moral judgement applied to psychopaths. Applying Greene's model to psychopaths raises questions about his methodology that extends to typical individuals. These issues concern the nature of his thought experiments, coding scheme, and underlying philosophical commitments. In the final chapter, I examine how these methodological issues function to weaken Greene's overall argument in favor of utilitarianism. I will argue that some of these flaws raise issues for incorporating empirical psychology into moral psychology more broadly.

Committee: Deborah Barnbaum (Advisor); Andreea Smaranda Aldea (Committee Member); Polycarp Ikuenobe (Committee Member); John Dunlosky (Committee Member) Subjects: Ethics; Philosophy; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2016, Psychology/Developmental

The present study examined the relations between Theory of Mind and moral development as they impact specific aggressive behaviors and prosociality in preschoolers. Social-Cognitive and Social-Cognitive Domain Theory suggest that behavior should be considered a function of personal factors and environment, whereby each of these three facets impact and interact with one another, especially during the development of moral understanding. The current conceptualized hypothesized that moral judgment would predict socio-moral cognition, and – separately – that inhibitory control would predict Theory of Mind; additionally, a moderation of socio-moral cognition was posed on the expected relation from Theory of Mind to social outcomes. One hundred seventy-six preschoolers (Ma=53.3 months) completed measures of inhibitory control, moral understanding, morally imbedded Theory of Mind, verbal skills, and a traditional Theory of Mind battery consisting of five tasks. In addition, teacher- and child self-report data were collected for four specific aspects of aggressive behavior, and prosociality. The proposed model was a good fit to the data using teacher-report data. Results indicate that for children high in mental state understanding, applied moral cognitive development influences teacher-rated prosociality, such that those who were better able to understand another's motive tended to be less prosocial—for those without motive understanding, there was no relation from ToM on prosocial behavior. Implications are discussed in regards to theoretical development and previous empirical findings.

Committee: Marie Tisak (Advisor); John Tisak (Committee Member); Carolyn Tompsett (Committee Member); Susannah Cleveland (Other) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Early Childhood Education; Psychology; Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Philosophy, Applied

Global normative error theorists argue that there are no authoritative normative reasons of any kind. Thus, according to the error theory, the normative demands of law, prudence, morality, etc. are of no greater normative significance than the most absurd standards we can conceive of. Because the error theory is a radically revisionary view, theorists who accept it only do so because they maintain the view is supported by the best available arguments. In this dissertation, I argue that error theory entails that it is impossible that there are successful arguments for anything, thus defenses of error theory are in tension with the view, itself. My argument begins with the observation that it is natural to think a successful argument is one that gives us an authoritative normative reason to believe its conclusion. Error theory entails that there are no authoritative reasons to believe anything. What are arguments for error theory even supposed to accomplish? Error theorists may respond that their arguments are solely intended to get at the truth. I argue that this reply fails. One problem is that it cannot make sense of why in practice even error theorists still want evidence for the premises of sound arguments. Error theorists may try to capture the importance of evidence by appeal to our social norms or goals. I argue that this answer is indistinguishable from the view that our social practices or goals generate authoritative normative requirements. Thus, attempts to defend the coherence of arguing for error theory are either unacceptably revisionary or they are inconsistent with error theory. While this result is a problem for error theory, it seems consistent with highly relativistic accounts of normative authority. In the future, I plan to explore whether my core arguments can be extended to defend authoritative, universal scope normative requirements (e.g. of prudence and morality).

Committee: Michael Weber Dr (Advisor); Verner Bingman Dr (Other); Christian Coons Dr (Committee Member); Molly Gardner Dr (Committee Member); Sara Worley (Committee Member) Subjects: Philosophy

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2018, Philosophy (Arts and Sciences)

In this thesis, William Alston's influential defense of divine command theory is critically evaluated. It is argued that Alston, in positing evaluative particularism, undermines his defense because moral particularism, a rival theory of moral obligation, follows from evaluative particularism. Furthermore, the moral particularist need not deny that God has moral obligations. Even if evaluative particularism did not entail moral particularism, it fails to makes God's commands non-arbitrary, contrary to Alston's claims. On divine command theory, God does not make commands for moral reasons, which is a fundamental principle of moral agency, necessary for any moral action to be non-arbitrary. Also, the divine nature does not uniquely pick out particular good actions to be obligatory. It is also objected that Alston's evaluative particularism posits a God which is either conceptually incoherent or non-existent, demonstrated by an evidential argument from evil given in the paper.

Committee: James Petrik Dr. (Committee Chair); Alyssa Bernstein Dr. (Committee Member); Alfred Lent Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Philosophy; Religion

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2013, Educational Administration (Education)

This study is a narrative inquiry that explores the understandings of elementary principals in schools where the racial and cultural makeup of the student body differs markedly from the racial and cultural makeup of the teaching staff. I purposefully selected principals who work in majority-Black schools staffed with majority-White teachers. I conducted in-depth interviews with ten Midwest elementary principals, five White and five Black, in three different urban areas. I transcribed these interviews and used the resulting transcript data as well as my field notes as the primary data sources from which to draw conclusions. My data analysis surfaced three themes that describe how principals collectively understand such schools and their leadership in them. First, the principals' own biography seemingly influenced how they understood, experienced, and engaged race and racism in their schools. Second, principals envisioned their leadership role as moral agents and used their moral power to assuage the perceived social injustices experienced by students. Third, principals understood that they functioned in a culture of fear where teachers were afraid of Black students, their parents, and the Black community surrounding the schools.

Committee: Craig Howley (Committee Chair) Subjects: Educational Leadership; School Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Educational Theory and Practice

The professional literature of the Holocaust is replete with research, references, and recommendations that a study of the Holocaust, particularly for middle and high school students, is most effective when combined with an extensive use of Holocaust literature. Scholars and educators alike advocate the use of first-person testimony whenever and wherever possible in order to personalize the Holocaust lessons for the student. This study explore students' responses to first-person Holocaust narratives through the lens of reader response theory in order to determine if prolonged engagement with the literature enhances affective learning. This study also explores the students' sense of personal ethics and their perceptions on moral decision-making. By examining their responses during prolonged engagement with first-person narratives, herein referred to as witness narratives, and evaluating these responses based on moral development theories developed by Kohlberg and Gilligan, the study also seeks to determine whether there are significant differences in the nature of response that can be attributed to gender. Lastly, the study explores students' views on racism, and how or if an extended lesson on the Holocaust causes affective change in students' perceptions of racism and their role in combating it within our society.

Committee: Janet Hickman (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Language and Literature

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, American Culture Studies

In 2021-2022, once routine school board meetings erupted into intense showdowns because of the presence of what many believed to be Critical Race Theory within the school curriculum, Comprehensive Sex Education, disagreement over gender identity, and the nature of parents' rights. There were shouting matches and accusations that schools, board members, and parents were racists, hated America and members of the LGBTQ community, were trafficking in communism, and were harming children. Commenters made fiery pledges to remove board members, and board members received hate mail including death threats. This research project interrogates parents', guardians', and concerned community members' publicly expressed beliefs and anxieties about Critical Race Theory (CRT), gender identity, and Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE), at 10 geographically diverse K-12 public school board meetings in the U.S. available online in 2021-2022. It considers what their comments at the board meetings reveal about their understanding of the world, of America, American identity, and of their own values, hopes, and fears. The methodology used in the project is anthropological. There is close textual analysis to better ascertain the content, context, and meanings of the discourse formations and cultural codes. These are the primary sources analyzed: comments at the school board meetings, written and televised speeches, personal letters, newspapers, op-eds, slogans, protest signs, campaign commercials, websites, and social media. In addition, historical and archival research trace the genealogy of these discourse formations within American culture among the secular and white evangelical Religious Right. The anti-CRT commenters and those who hold to traditional gender ideologies want to maintain a particular culture, an ordering of the world, including ideology and theology that is rooted in hierarchy, exclusion, and particular gender norms heavily influenced by the Southern way of life. (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Timothy Messer-Kruse Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Vibha Bhalla Ph.D. (Committee Member); Andrew Schocket Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jessica E. Kiss Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: African American Studies; American History; American Studies; Bible; Black History; Curricula; Education; Education History; Ethnic Studies; Families and Family Life; Gender; Gender Studies; History; Multicultural Education; Political Science; Spirituality; Teacher Education; Theology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Greek and Latin

This project takes advantage of modern trauma theory to develop a new reading and understanding of Ovid's first book of exile poetry, the Tristia. Using trauma theory, clinical research data, and traditional philology, this paper demonstrates that the language that Ovid uses to describe his experience of banishment and life in exile reveals that this period of his life included several potentially traumatic events. Shoshanna Felman's and Dori Laub's concepts of testimony and witnessing, strongly influenced the reading of the text as a reflection of the poet's personal experiences instead of either literal facts or empty artifice as scholars have previously done. This approach opens up new ways of understanding Ovid's experiences from the time that his banishment was announced through the third year of his exile. Through the lens of trauma theory, this project discovers how Ovid understood and expressed his separation from Rome, sense of self, relationship to poetry and language, and methods of coping with the pain.

Committee: William Batstone (Advisor); Zoe Plakias (Other); Julia Nelson-Hawkins (Committee Member); Dana Munteanu (Committee Member) Subjects: Classical Studies; Comparative Literature

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Arts and Sciences: Philosophy

Understanding a normative concept like oppression requires attention to not only its harms but also the causes of those harms. In other words, a complete understanding of such a concept requires a proper causal explanation. This causal explanation can also inform and constrain our moral response to such harms. Therefore, the conceptual explanatory framework that we use to inform our moral diagnosis and our moral response becomes significant. The first goal of this dissertation is to propose complexity theory as the proper framework for not only explaining a social phenomenon like oppression but also understanding the proper sites for social change. The second goal of this dissertation is to answer three interrelated questions about how we should respond, morally, to a chronic and complex social problem like racial or gender inequality: (1) Why do the current interventions to address these problems fail? (2) Do social movements play any unique role in addressing these problems? (3) What is our individual responsibility to participate in social movements? In response, I argue that the explanatory frameworks that we choose to understand the cause(s) of social problems can be the source of the inadequacy of our intervention. I argue that a proper social and moral intervention needs to capture the complex and dynamic nature of the social world. I also show that changing the explanatory framework allows us to see the unique role social movements play in making effective and sustainable social change possible. Finally, I conclude supporting such movements is a moral imperative.

Committee: Vanessa Carbonell Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Anthony Chemero Ph.D. (Committee Member); Amy Lind Ph.D. (Committee Member); Angela Potochnik Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Philosophy

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2020, Philosophy (Arts and Sciences)

In this thesis I reconstruct and evaluate John Mackie's Argument from Queerness presented in his 1977 book, Inventing Right and Wrong. Mackie argues that moral values are queer due to their objective prescriptivity and therefore that moral values do not exist. I examine how the concept of the objective prescriptivity of moral values functions in Mackie's argument by analyzing an exchange between David Brink and Richard Garner. Specifically, I consider two objections to the Argument from Queerness advanced by Brink. The first challenges the argument's reliance on motivational internalism. The second focuses on the supervenience of moral properties on physical properties. By contrast, Garner argues that queerness in Mackie's argument ought to be understood in terms of normative authority as opposed to motivational irresistibility and that once queerness is so understood, Mackie's argument survives Brink's critique. I argue that Garner provides an effective response to Brink's criticism.

Committee: Christoph Hanisch (Advisor) Subjects: Philosophy

Bachelor of Arts, Walsh University, 2020, Honors

Many believe that capitalism is inherently immoral, a system designed by the rich, for the rich. Events like the 2008 financial crisis seem to point to a conclusion of this sort as well. However, delving deeper into the roots of capitalism and its founder, Adam Smith, paint a different picture, with different intentions. The Theory of Moral Sentiments predates and provides the foundation for the Wealth of Nations. In both the timing of the books, and in their content, morality is clearly shown to be the bedrock upon which capitalism was built. Having proved this, one must then look to the 2008 crisis through the previously constructed lens, and evaluate the actions that led up to it. If they were immoral, as this thesis claims them to be, then the theory that morality is the basis of capitalism is given practical application.

Committee: Bradley Beach (Advisor) Subjects: Banking; Economic Theory; Economics; Finance; Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2018, Foundations of Education: Educational Psychology

Under the surface of our “known” selves lies a myriad of implicit beliefs of which we are often unaware. Hundreds of studies have explored implicit attitudes and beliefs about issues such as race, sexuality, religion, and gender. However, there are far fewer studies about implicit moral beliefs and none regarding the implicit moral beliefs of teachers. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to develop a measure of implicit moral beliefs that will provide a way to explore and understand teachers' implicit moral beliefs and their impact on classroom behavior. The measure was an evaluative priming task in which respondents classified words (targets) as either right or wrong after briefly seeing a picture (prime) related to one of four foundations of the Moral Foundations Theory. Validity evidence for the results of the measure was examined in two studies. Study 1 determined the extent to which the results of the measure had content validity. During the study, 33 undergraduate Education students evaluated the representativeness of several potential primes and targets. The findings were used to select the four most representative primes for each moral foundation, and create a set of right and wrong target words that were distinct in valence, and similar in intensity. Study 2 determined the extent to which the results of the measure had predictive and construct validity. During the study, 60 undergraduate and graduate Education students completed the implicit measure and then explicitly rated the moral “wrongness” of the primes. Evidence for predictive validity was observed in the pattern of explicit ratings, which matched expected patterns based on prior literature. Priming effects were not observed for any of the moral foundations, and correlations among the implicit and explicit scores were inconsistent. Therefore, the study did not provide strong evidence for construct (discriminant) validity of the results. While the primes used in the measure elicited expected re (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Revathy Kumar Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Tom Dunn Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dale Snauwaert Ph.D. (Committee Member); Gregory Stone Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Psychology; Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Philosophy, Applied

If we grant that some moral claims are true, what is it that makes them true? Throughout the vast majority of history, it was believed that God was the source of morality. But the twentieth century saw a shift in ethics. Influenced by logical positivism and a broadly naturalistic worldview, scholars sought to develop a theory of ethics that did not depend on God's existence. One leading approach was moral naturalism, the view that moral properties are natural and thus can be investigated by scientific methods. But this view was plagued with problems, leading many to conclude that moral and natural facts were just too different to be one and the same. Having rejected a divine conception of ethics and moral naturalism, some scholars turned to moral non-naturalism - the view that moral properties are not natural. One particular form of moral non-naturalism entails that moral properties are sui generis. I call this view Moorean realism. The current trend suggests that Moorean realism is preferable to divine command theory, a competing form of moral non-naturalism wherein moral properties are reducible to supernatural properties. But, as far as the salient objections go, divine command theory is at least as plausible as Moorean realism. Indeed, if we look closely at the traditional versions of these views and the common objections to them, divine command theory offers compelling responses and Moorean realism has a difficult time meeting many of these challenges. In chapter one, I argue that divine command theory is as plausible as Moorean realism. In chapter two, I consider the viability of a non-traditional form of Moorean realism - the view that moral truths are conceptual truths. I argue that the thesis that moral truths are conceptual faces a serious dilemma which renders the view in question implausible. In chapter three, I argue that it is indeed the traditional divine command theory and not the intriguing deflationary one whereby God need not exist, th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christian Coons PhD (Advisor); Michael Weber PhD (Committee Member); Sara Worley PhD (Committee Member); Alfred DeMaris PhD (Other) Subjects: Ethics; Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Philosophy

I address philosophical questions about the relationship between how we structure our own lives over time and how we reflect on how we are structuring our own lives over time. In the first three chapters, I develop an account of the conditions under which an agent counts as structuring her own life. This is the Rational Immersion View: an agent counts as structuring her own life if she has a commitment that manifests across a wide range of circumstances and whose manifestation consists in immersive activity that involves the extensive deployment of her rational capacities for deliberation and planning. The main advantage of this view is that it can account for forms of independence between how we structure our lives and the exercise of our reflective capacities: for instance, it can account for agents who structure their lives around the pursuit of commitments that they do not endorse acting upon. In the final chapter, I argue that the exercise of our reflective capacities, when directed toward our life-structuring commitments, involves the exercise of our story-telling capacities: to acquire full awareness of a life-structuring commitment, as a potential ground for action, one needs to tell a story of one's life structured by the pursuit of that commitment. This proposal allows us to illuminate the respect in which reflection on a commitment involves stepping back from the commitment: one acquires critical distance from a commitment when there is ironic distance between one's perspective while reflecting and one's perspective while immersed in the pursuit of that commitment.

Committee: Sigrún Svavarsdóttir (Advisor); Justin D'Arms (Committee Member); Don Hubin (Committee Member); Tristram McPherson (Committee Member) Subjects: Philosophy

PHD, Kent State University, 2016, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

This qualitative study investigated the research question: How does the feminist ethic interact with the leadership of women superintendents as they address the demands of leading in the current educational climate? Data generated from six participants' interviews, journal entries, and writing samples were used to formulate a leadership theory using Charmaz's (2011) constructivist grounded theory approach. Data analysis resulted in ten common themes among participants, which fell into three main areas: leadership disposition, feminist approaches to leadership, and purpose in leadership. The following theory, grounded in participants' data was developed: When authenticity, self-efficacy, and empowerment are present, women superintendents are better able to succeed in the masculinized culture of school district leadership and the current climate of educational reform. The essence of women's leadership is manifested in the feminist ethic of care, justice, and critique, which allows leaders to bring better outcomes for the individuals and the organization under their stewardship. The theory developed may allow school boards and universities to better understand the preparation of, hiring of, and support for women in the superintendency. The recommendations of this study and theory may inform educational leaders of both sexes and add to the current body of literature on women in educational leadership in general and in the superintendency specifically. Recommendations for future research include further study regarding the efficacy of using the theory developed to grow and support the ranks of women superintendents nationally.

Committee: Catherine Hackney PhD (Committee Chair); Rosemary Gornik PhD (Committee Member); Jennifer Kulics PhD (Committee Member); Steve Rainey PhD (Other) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Ethics; Gender; Gender Studies; School Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2014, Psychology-Industrial/Organizational

The influence of dark leadership on subordinate unethical behavior is often attributed to the subordinates’ desire to seek revenge. However, the influence of nonconscious processes in this relationship has not yet been addressed by the literature. Using a dual processing theory of morality, I argued that by suppressing subordinates’ self-concept, dark leaders can change how subordinates perceive and respond to moral events. Consistent with this idea, results found that subordinates formed implicit self-associations to a pattern of dark attributes when their self-concept was inhibited by dark leadership. Forming implicit self-associations to dark attributes in turn, affected subordinates’ sensitivity to perceiving moral information and their behavior to an ethical task in a lab setting. These results were obtained using electrophysiological (EEG) and traditional social-cognitive measures. Overall, these results provide evidence for dual processing theory of morality, and they challenge the dominant perspective for relating dark leadership to employee unethical behavior. Implications for interdisciplinary research, the self-concept, and ethical leadership theory are also addressed.

Committee: Kevin Kaut Dr. (Advisor); Robert Lord Dr. (Committee Member); Rosalie Hall Dr. (Committee Member); Philip Allen Dr. (Committee Member); Steven Ash Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2011, International and Comparative Politics

Democratic states are more susceptible to terrorist attacks and yet have the most responsibility to ensure their counterterrorism responses are in accordance with democratic principles. Respect for the rule of law and the freedoms of speech and press are just a few of the principles ingrained in democratic philosophy and likewise, by the very nature of a democracy, democratic states must be held accountable to their citizenries. These factors, however, can be a cause of dissention and can lead to a dangerous overreaction or a disproportionate response by democratic states in their counterterrorism policies, including leading to the very undemocratic response of restricting civil liberties. This thesis researches and analyzes the counterterrorism policies of Britain and Spain and applies the theory of Moral Panics to evaluate how Moral Panics has influenced their respective counterterrorism policies to account for the discrepancy found between the British and Spanish state responses to terrorism.

Committee: Donna Schlagheck PhD (Committee Chair); Liam Anderson PhD (Committee Member); Vaughn Shannon PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: International Relations; Political Science

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

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2003, History (Arts and Sciences)

This thesis discusses Michael Walzer's role as a public critic of American foreign policy from the mid-1950s to the present. The purpose of this discussion is two-fold. First, it seeks to trace out a voice on the American liberal left that does not fit the common stereotype of a negativist, ideologically rigid leftist critic. Walzer's alternative liberal vision as articulated in the course of the past four decades demonstrates the ways in which it is possible for intellectuals on the left to remain true to liberal values and put forward a highly nuanced and constructive critique of official foreign policy without succumbing to negativism or ideological dogmatism. Second, this discussion is based on the premise that Walzer's ideas can best be understood not just by analyzing them philosophically but also by considering Walzer's main intellectual influences, his personal background, and the historical context in which he is writing. Although a lot has been written on Walzer's political thought per se, there has so far been no attempt to place the public writings of this important political philosopher in the context of his times. This thesis proceeds chronologically and is divided into five chapters. Chapters I and II discuss Walzer's personal background, education, and early political writings for Dissent magazine in the 1950s. Chapters III and IV deal with Walzer's political activism in the 1960s and discuss how his opposition to the Vietnam War led him to think about the moral aspects of warfare in more systematic terms, culminating in the publication of his most significant philosophical work on foreign policy, Just and Unjust Wars, in 1977. Chapters V and VI look at Walzer's contributions to the public foreign policy debate during the presidencies of Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton, and also deal with Walzer's response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The thesis concludes with an epilogue outlining today's liberal foreign policy dilem (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kevin Mattson (Advisor) Subjects: History, United States