Dr. Pianalto's Essay on Courage Wins International Competition

Matthew Pianalto, an assistant professor in the EKU Department of Philosophy & Religion, has authored the winning entry in the Robert Papazian Annual Essay Prize on Themes from Ethics and Political Philosophy. The prize (€1500) is established in memory of a young man executed for his ideas and political ideals.

Pianalto's essay is entitled, "Moral Courage and Facing Others." In it, he argues that moral courage is not only a matter of standing up for one's principles in the face of danger and opposition, but also requires facing others without objectifying or dehumanizing them. Pianalto argues that when we fail to acknowledge and face up to the other's moral agency, our responses run the risk of being reckless, and that the refusal to face others in their full humanity can itself be thought of as a kind of cowardice.

Pianalto's essay will appear as the lead article in Volume 21, Number 2, of the International Journal of Philosophical Studies, in April 2012. Further information about the prize here.

Contact Information

Matthew Pianalto
Matthew.Pianalto@eku.edu
859-622-2979

Published on January 21, 2012