How do we balance the potential of stem cell research to provide cures for debilitating illnesses such as Parkinson's, diabetes and Alzheimer's with concerns about cloning and the use of embryos?

What factors influence a child's moral development?

Questions like these require more than just a surface inquiry. To address this need, Penn State's first conference of the Rock Ethics Institute offers the chance for an exchange of knowledge between academics and the general public.

On March 14-16, "Ethics: The Inaugural Symposium" will reflect the wide range of ethical issues from medicine (stem cell research and bio-engineering), business, and war and terrorism to social equality, research integrity, expression in the arts, and engineering.

The goal is to promote an exchange of ideas between professionals and academics.

"This public event is key to fostering public dialogue about ethical issues," says Dr. Nancy Tuana, director of the Rock Ethics Institute and the DuPont/Class of '49 Professor of Philosophy. "Moral reasoning, however, is not just limited to one's personal life, but is also a part of one's professional world.

"For this reason, the Rock Ethics Institute will promote ethical dialogue with professionals from various fields. It is crucial that educators provide our students with the skills needed to live a moral life and to be a citizen of a moral nation."

Instead of focusing solely on theory, the conference participants will strive to find practical applications for pressing moral issues. However, as in most complicated social questions, no clear-cut solutions exist.

Debatable issues such as the benefits or risks of stem cell research, animal testing or urban planning require in-depth moral inquiries, says Dr. Tuana.

Keynote speakers are Penn State Head Football Coach Joseph Paterno; Wes Jackson, the co-founder of the Land Institute; Dr. Eva Feder Kittay, professor of philosophy, SUNY-Stony Brook; Carolyn Zahn-Waxler of the National Institute of Mental Health; Dr. Carey Fraser, director of Penn State's Africana Research Center and faculty member in the Department of African and African American Studies; Jerry Holmes, retired Major General of the U.S. Air Force and adjunct professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma; and Dr. Susanna B. Hecht, professor of urban planning and Associate Director of the Latin American Center in UCLA.

(Editor's Note: The conference and reception are free and open to the public. Registration is recommended but not required. Details about the schedule of lectures, topics and speakers are available on-line at this URL. To be added to the mailing list or for further information, contact the Institute by email.)

Related website:

[Contact: Dr. Nancy Tuana, A'ndrea Elyse Messer]

12-Feb-2002