Public Engagement piece by David Crocker, director of the Center for Constitutional Government at... more Public Engagement piece by David Crocker, director of the Center for Constitutional Government at The Maine Heritage Policy Center. He discusses public and the judicial support for strengthened state and individual rights. He gives examples of recent court cases involving state\u27s rights, freedom of speech, and the individual mandate portion of the new health care law. He advocates that the federal government should not impinge on the personal and economic liberties of individuals
The Paideia Archive: Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy, 1998
I discuss the nature and genesis of international development ethics as well as its current areas... more I discuss the nature and genesis of international development ethics as well as its current areas of consensus, controversies, challenges, and agenda. A relatively new field of applied ethics, international development ethics is ethical reflection on the ends and means of socioeconomic change in poor countries and regions. It has several sources: criticism of colonialism and post-World War II developmental strategies; Denis Goulet's writings; Anglo-American philosophical debates about the ethics of famine relief; and Paul Streeten's and Amartya Sen's approaches to development. Development ethicists agree that the moral dimension of development theory and practice is just as important as the scientific and policy components. What is often called "development" (e.g., economic growth) may be bad for people, communities, and the environment. Hence, the process of development should be reconceived as beneficial change, usually specified as alleviating human misery a...
From Chile to Cambodia to South Africa to the United States, societies and international institut... more From Chile to Cambodia to South Africa to the United States, societies and international institutions are deciding how they should reckon with past atrocities—including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, rape, and torture—that may have been committed by a government against its own citizens, by its opponents, or by combatants in an international armed conflict. In deciding whether and how to address these political crimes, it is commonly believed that trials and punishment, on the one hand, and reconciliation, on the other, are fundamentally at odds with each other, that a nation must choose one or the other, and that reconciliation is morally superior to punishment. For example, in No Future Without Forgiveness, Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu evaluates the successes and failures of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The chair of the TRC, Tutu defends the Commission’s granting of amnesty to wrongdoers who revealed the truth about their
1. Aims of the Course: This course will focus on the theory and practice of democracy and democra... more 1. Aims of the Course: This course will focus on the theory and practice of democracy and democratization as well as related themes of civil society and civic engagement. In Part I, we will consider various theories that seek to understand and defend democratic governance. What is nature of democracy in contrast to other forms of government such as bureaucratic elitism, theocracy, and authoritarianism and can democracy be defended against these other governmental arrangements? What are the strengths and weaknesses of various forms of democratic theory, for example, minimalist democracy (Schumpeter), liberalrepresentative democracy (Dahl-polyarchy), and deliberative democracy? What does each theory consider to be the causes, consequences, limits, and threats to democracy?
Is cross-cultural communication and criticism possible? This question is important question, sinc... more Is cross-cultural communication and criticism possible? This question is important question, since, if such cross-cultural practice is not possible, then development ethics, which applies ethical reflection to the ends and means of development, could only be used by citizens of a given country to think critically about their own country’s development goals and strategies. By contrast, if cross-cultural communication is possible, then everyone – citizens of a nation, as well as its allies, friends, and foes—can understand and evaluate social change. Non-Iraquis could weigh in on whether democracy is a good thing for Iraq and how is should be promoted. Non-Americans would not be out of place in assessing US treatment of prisoners at home or abroad. It would not be illegitimate for International aid organizations would to assess a poor nation’s efforts to reduce deprivation and expand opportunity
A debate held at Colorado State University on November 29, 1989 and moderated by Dr. David Crocke... more A debate held at Colorado State University on November 29, 1989 and moderated by Dr. David Crocker, Professor of Philosophy.
Public Engagement piece by David Crocker, director of the Center for Constitutional Government at... more Public Engagement piece by David Crocker, director of the Center for Constitutional Government at The Maine Heritage Policy Center. He discusses public and the judicial support for strengthened state and individual rights. He gives examples of recent court cases involving state\u27s rights, freedom of speech, and the individual mandate portion of the new health care law. He advocates that the federal government should not impinge on the personal and economic liberties of individuals
The Paideia Archive: Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy, 1998
I discuss the nature and genesis of international development ethics as well as its current areas... more I discuss the nature and genesis of international development ethics as well as its current areas of consensus, controversies, challenges, and agenda. A relatively new field of applied ethics, international development ethics is ethical reflection on the ends and means of socioeconomic change in poor countries and regions. It has several sources: criticism of colonialism and post-World War II developmental strategies; Denis Goulet's writings; Anglo-American philosophical debates about the ethics of famine relief; and Paul Streeten's and Amartya Sen's approaches to development. Development ethicists agree that the moral dimension of development theory and practice is just as important as the scientific and policy components. What is often called "development" (e.g., economic growth) may be bad for people, communities, and the environment. Hence, the process of development should be reconceived as beneficial change, usually specified as alleviating human misery a...
From Chile to Cambodia to South Africa to the United States, societies and international institut... more From Chile to Cambodia to South Africa to the United States, societies and international institutions are deciding how they should reckon with past atrocities—including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, rape, and torture—that may have been committed by a government against its own citizens, by its opponents, or by combatants in an international armed conflict. In deciding whether and how to address these political crimes, it is commonly believed that trials and punishment, on the one hand, and reconciliation, on the other, are fundamentally at odds with each other, that a nation must choose one or the other, and that reconciliation is morally superior to punishment. For example, in No Future Without Forgiveness, Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu evaluates the successes and failures of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The chair of the TRC, Tutu defends the Commission’s granting of amnesty to wrongdoers who revealed the truth about their
1. Aims of the Course: This course will focus on the theory and practice of democracy and democra... more 1. Aims of the Course: This course will focus on the theory and practice of democracy and democratization as well as related themes of civil society and civic engagement. In Part I, we will consider various theories that seek to understand and defend democratic governance. What is nature of democracy in contrast to other forms of government such as bureaucratic elitism, theocracy, and authoritarianism and can democracy be defended against these other governmental arrangements? What are the strengths and weaknesses of various forms of democratic theory, for example, minimalist democracy (Schumpeter), liberalrepresentative democracy (Dahl-polyarchy), and deliberative democracy? What does each theory consider to be the causes, consequences, limits, and threats to democracy?
Is cross-cultural communication and criticism possible? This question is important question, sinc... more Is cross-cultural communication and criticism possible? This question is important question, since, if such cross-cultural practice is not possible, then development ethics, which applies ethical reflection to the ends and means of development, could only be used by citizens of a given country to think critically about their own country’s development goals and strategies. By contrast, if cross-cultural communication is possible, then everyone – citizens of a nation, as well as its allies, friends, and foes—can understand and evaluate social change. Non-Iraquis could weigh in on whether democracy is a good thing for Iraq and how is should be promoted. Non-Americans would not be out of place in assessing US treatment of prisoners at home or abroad. It would not be illegitimate for International aid organizations would to assess a poor nation’s efforts to reduce deprivation and expand opportunity
A debate held at Colorado State University on November 29, 1989 and moderated by Dr. David Crocke... more A debate held at Colorado State University on November 29, 1989 and moderated by Dr. David Crocker, Professor of Philosophy.
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