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Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

The Conscience Project

Moral choices in a changing world

The Conscience Project

In 2013-14, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics sponsored a yearlong series of talks exploring our inner moral core as we confront contemporary challenges.

Events

An individual speaking into a microphone. SEPTEMBER 30, 2013
Robot Morality: Can a Machine Have a Conscience?
George Lucas Jr., professor of public policy
Naval Postgraduate School
Co-sponsored by the Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley.
Summary
Black and white portrait of a man with a serious expression. OCTOBER 9, 2013
Stem Cells, Cloning, and the Conscience of a Nation
William Hurlbut, consulting professor
Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University
12 p.m., Wiegand Room, Arts and Sciences Building
Summary
A person smiling in front of bookshelves.

NOVEMBER 7, 2013
Is Biological Evolution Compatible With a Moral Conscience?
Francisco Ayala*, professor of biological sciences,
ecology, and evolutionary biology, UC-Irvine
Co-sponsored by the Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley. 5 p.m., St. Clare Room, Harrington Learning Commons
Summary

*Professor Ayala resigned in July 2018 from his position at the University of California, Irvine, after a university investigation substantiated sexual harassment claims against him.

A smiling person outdoors with trees in the background. JANUARY 29, 2014
A Struggle for Peace and Justice: A Story of Conscience and Its Consequences
Roy Bourgeois, laicized Catholic priest; founder,
School of the Americas Watch
7 p.m., Wiegand Room, Arts and Sciences Building
Summary  Podcast
Woman smiling against a dark red background. FEBRUARY 6, 2014
Women Speak for Themselves: Conscience and the New Catholic Feminism
Helen Alvare, professor of law, George Mason University
7 p.m., Wiegand Room, Arts and Sciences Building
Summary  Podcast
Two individuals side by side, one woman and one man smiling. FEBRUARY 13, 2014
Conscience, Edward Snowden, and the Internet: Has Civil Disobedience Gone Too Far?
David DeCosse, campus ethics director, and
Irina Raicu, Internet ethics director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
12 p.m., Wiegand Room, Arts and Sciences Building
Summary  Podcast
A person wearing a formal outfit and smiling against a plain background. MARCH 12, 2014
Fostering Conscience and Moral Character Through Classroom Teaching
Darcia Narvaez, professor of psychology and director Collaborative for Ethical Education University of Notre Dame
5 p.m., Williman Room, Benson Center
Summary  
A person smiling in front of a dark background. APRIL 8, 2014
Can a Business Have a Conscience? Reflections on the Moral Responsibility of Corporations
Manuel Velasquez, professor of management
Santa Clara University
12 p.m., Wiegand Room, Arts and Sciences Building
Summary  Podcast
A person wearing glasses and smiling. MAY 13, 2014
Conscience and the Complex World of Catholic Health Care
Ron Hamel, chief ethicist, Catholic Health Association
7 p.m., St. Clare Room, Harrington Learning Commons
Summary
  September 10-11, 2014
Conscience in Catholicism: Rights, Responsibilities, and Institutional Policies
Conference Summary

We are fortunate to present these speakers in part through the generosity of the Project on Conscience in Roman Catholic Thought, funded by Phyllis and Mike Shea.

Nov 16, 2015
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