Welcome, Bioethics class of '25! Let's introduce ourselves (my bio's in the right sidebar, scroll down 'til you see "JPO bio"). Who are you? Why are you here? What else, by way of introduction, would you like to share?
Looking forward to meeting everyone on January 21.
jpo (Dr. Oliver)
phil.oliver@mtsu.edu
Hello!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Elijah Carney. I am a sophomore in the classroom here at MTSU. My freshman year of college I went to Bethel University in west Tennessee. I am here because Bethel was certainly not the place for me as I was miserable everyday and my coaches were not the best. At all. So I walked on the football team here in the fall and I have loved it so much. I have grown as a player and a person and I love God very very much. Maybe I should have put that first sentence.
I am a philosophy major. I was originally an English major but after a very long paper, I realized that although I enjoy writing, English was not they way for me to go. Around the same time I read St. Augustine's Confessions. It changed my life and I have been intrigued by philosophy ever since.
To me philosophy is the pursuit of truth. I just want to know the truth. In all things. To me, philosophy is everything then nothing. It ends where God starts. My personal philosophy??? Without God, without Jesus Christ, life, utterly, has no meaning at all.
I do not yet have a favorite philosopher but I'm sure I will. When it comes to bioethics, I not sure exactly how it fits into philosophy. In intro we talked about active vs. passive euthanasia. Is that bioethics?
Hey Elijah, glad to see you join the philosophy path at MTSU. I just read confessions last semester. Great book. What made you choose philosophy over religious studies?
DeleteElijah,
DeleteYes, euthanasia is a classic bioethics concern.
I'm glad you're here! DId you follow Augustine's path of praying for purity (etc.) "but not yet"? All things in good time, right?
As a pragmatist and Jamesian I respect the varieties of religious experience, but I also have to ask that religious folk respect my variety of humanism. We (secular) humanists disagree that "Without God, without Jesus Christ, life, utterly, has no meaning at all." I don't believe in a transcendent supernatural creator and sustainer of existence. But I do enjoy a meaningful and gratifying life. Different strokes, as the saying goes.
I am an auditing student. I majored in philosophy and religion and religious studies in college. I took this class the last time it was offered.
ReplyDeleteAnd as a methodist minister who has also studied philosophy and appreciates James's Varieties, Gary, I think you agree that some people lead meaningful though godless lives, just as some others ind their deepest meaning in religious faith. This is pluralism. Let a thousand flowers bloom.
DeleteGreetings fellow scholars!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Vuk Frye and I am a freshman studying Biochemistry with a pre-medical focus. In addition I am seeking a minor in philosophy. I am attending MTSU with hopes of continuing on to a medical school upon my graduation. More broadly I hope to expand my knowledge of the world and its systems as a whole. In my view philosophy is a necessary precondition to Ethics of any kind. An analytical framework is required in order to prescribe a subjective morality upon a given decision or issue.
There are countless issues in the field of bioethics that come to mind quickly, with many of these topics being so called "hot button issues." Some examples that interest me the most are abortion rights and transgender rights. More "futuristic" topics such as Gene editing and AI do deserve debate as well, however, those topics mentioned prior serve a more critical role in the material wellbeing of a greater number of people.
Glad to hear you are interested in transgender rights. The transgendered community needs as much help as it can get right now.
DeleteYes. Did you all see what the good Bishop said to POTUS at the National Cathedral service yesterday? https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/21/us/politics/bishop-mariann-edgar-budde-trump.html
DeleteBy "subjective morality" I take it you mean a commitment to doing the right thing, arrived at independently from conventional and conformist standards? But not an "anything goes" morality according to which each of us decides right and wrong, good and evil, for ourselves and by ourselves? I prefer to speak of inter-subjective morality, or an ethos arrived at via conversation and the civil exchange of views. I don't think humans ever arrive at a purely objective morality, but that our goal should be to continue refining our views and behaviors so that we become ever more considerate of one another and more conscious of ourselves as communal beings whose sense of rectitude must be coordinated with that of our peers. A strictly-subjective morality, I worry, would tend to disregard those social considerations.
DeleteI agree with what you have said about inter-subjective morality. Perhaps I should've worded my statement more precisely but I meant moreso a morality that applies to a given scenario and is arrived upon based upon the reality of that situation then a "do what you want" morality. I do agree that we are necessarily communal beings and that we should seek a agreed upon code of ethics.
DeleteHello! My name is David Testerman. I'm in my junior year seeking a political science and philosophy degree. My goal is to go to law school after graduating MTSU.
ReplyDeleteI'm here because I love philosophy. My favorite form of philosophy is to study the greats. Nietzsche, Plato, Hume, Kant, Satre, Nussbaum, Zizek, or anyone who has made a big splash really. I'm excited to read about the people who have made the biggest advances in bioethics.
Here's hoping we all make an A in this class!
Zizek is one of my favorites! Just recently reread his "Living in the End Times"
DeleteEven the philosophers who've made the biggest "splash" barely register a ripple in the larger American culture, alas. And some who've made the smallest have been wisest. I actually think novelists like Richard Powers, these days, have a greater impact (just because they have more readers who are prepared to reflect on their work in their own lifetimes). Philosophers have to write for the ages, and trust that their legacy will find its audience in due course. They're like arborists, planting trees whose shade they'll never live to share. But plant they do, anyway.
DeleteHi Everyone! My name is Bella Ambriz. I am a Psychology major minoring in philosophy and mental health services. I am here because I enjoy discussing bioethics especially in a world where we are experiencing new, often controversial, advances in medicine.
ReplyDeleteAnd in case anyone doesn't know this about my favorite philosopher: WIlliam James was first a psychologist, author of the seminal Principles of Pscyhology (1890). Wouldn't he be intrigued by all these new "advances" and their potential impacts on life.
DeleteI should add: Bioethics, ethics of life, should include ALL forms of life... not just the human. That's where the greatest convergence with Environmental Ethics arises,m in overlapping varieties of life on earth (and in the as-yet-unexplored cosmos).
Posted for Jaxon:
ReplyDeleteIntroduction:
Hello, my name is Jaxon Spinell.
I am a Biochemistry major in my junior year of college. I was originally a biology major but switched over to biochemistry since I wanted to focus my studies in chemistry. While I am interested in science, my intention is to go into medical school to pursue being an ER doctor.
I chose this class because it is very applicable to my future profession. There are a lot of moral issues when it comes to taking care of people. I want to be able to have the proper tools when the day comes that I have to make hard decisions. Additionally, I want to make sure I have a full understanding of the moral issues in the medical world.
I'm always heartened when I hear an aspiring physician emphasize the goal of "taking care of people"-- seems to obvious to state, but I think most of us have had encounters with health providers who seemed more focused on treating bodies, organs, symptoms, ... anything but people. I have, anyway.
DeleteHello, my name is Forrest Devin Barnett.
ReplyDeleteI am a Biotech/Genetics major student with a particular interest in gene editing and cloning.
With this education I would like to pursue careers that allow me to work on curing genetic diseases with gene editing, cloning as a way to secure endangered species as well as organs for transplants in humans, and life extension.
I primarily took this class because, at least from what I have read, I disagree with the majority of the ethical issues that have been proposed in relation to biotech/cloning and wanted to get a different perspective. I also just enjoy arguing.
Arguing Socratically (see Agnes Callard's "Open Socrates") and not Monty Pythonishly (see The Argument Clinic), I hope!
DeleteHowdy! My name's Jaylin Moore (he/they). I'm a biology major concentrating in genetics/biotech, and I've recently added a philosophy minor as well. It's important to me to have a background in ethics going into this field, so I thought a philosophy minor would compliment my major nicely. I'm a very stubborn person, and I tend to see things as black and white, so I wanted to take this course to try to work on that and see these issues from different perspectives.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see plenty of gray!
DeleteHello! My name is Tionna. I am an environmental science major. I am a sophomore, but this will be my first year attending MTSU. I am taking this course because the description intrigued me and I feel like I could use the knowledge from this course!
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Tara Taha! I'm a sophomore majoring in philosophy and minoring in honors and Arabic. I'm planning on going to law school straight out of undergrad! I have a love of learning, and I believe we all have an obligation to seek out knowledge and educate ourselves on any and everything in this world.
I took this class to further my knowledge about the nuanced areas of philosophy and familiarize myself with certain topics related to bioethics, so that I may grasp what my pre-med friends might have to deal with in their careers. It's definitely a plus that this class will help me in reading and digesting the science passages of the LSAT more efficiently. I'm assuming that since technology is entangled with bioethics, that this sect of philosophy will be one that is more subject to constant change and debate over beliefs, as technology is advancing rapidly in contemporary times.
Hi, my name is Michael Ventrice.
ReplyDeleteI’m a junior studying environmental science. I’m excited to take this class for the stimulating conversations that I hope it will provide. I also look forward to fleshing out the nuances of topics that don’t have an obvious “right” or “wrong” answer. I’m hoping that this class can help me to think of things in different ways, even if I might never face these specific topics directly. I look forward to hearing different perspectives on these issues!
Hi! My name is Madi Warren! I'm a Junior studying Biochemistry on a Pre-Med route. I'm here because I want to go to Medical School and I think you need to be able to understand Ethics to do your job well. Bioethics specifically intrigued me because I saw the "Bio" in the front and it resonated even more with me!
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is Sawyer Crain. I'm a nursing major in my freshman year. I took this class because I thoroughly enjoyed the Intro to Philosophy course and wanted to delve more into the issues surrounding biology before I go into nursing school.
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Martha Zurita. My Spanish name however is Salmai! I’m a sophomore here at MTSU. I’m originally from Joelton, TN—a small town in north TN. I forgot to mention this when I introduced myself in class but I’m also starting my double major in Spanish this semester! My first major is environmental science. I took this class because it fit my schedule but I’m also taking the biology pathway in my major therefore this class is quite a good fit for me. I’m excited to learn more about bioethics and deepen my understanding oh philosophy in general.
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm Danny and I'm here mostly because I think ethics is interesting. I'm majoring in environment science so it's probably a good idea to have good background knowledge on this subject. Knowing how to apply environmental science involves knowing how to approach questions of ethics and philosophy. I'm happy to be here and willing to be open and honest about my beliefs and opinions.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Aidan Haines, and I have an interest in environmental science and studies. Personally I take classes like this on the side because I think philosophy is an important subject to consider when thinking critically.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Gary Wedgewood. I am a retired United Methodist elder and pastor. I continue to pastor a church part-time in Wilson County where I live in Mount Juliet. My wife, who is a retired public-school teacher, and I are both auditing at MTSU this semester. We are both dedicated lifelong learners. In college I majored in Philosophy and Religion, Religious Studies, and minored in Theater. I have a M.Div. (Divinity), M.A.C.E. (Christian Education), and completed course work for a Master is Counseling Psychology. I have worked as a campus minister at Ohio Wesleyan University and as the director of a Wesley Foundation at Northeastern Oklahoma State University. I did youth ministry for a number of years. I have spent the rest of my 46 years in ministry as a pastor in local churches. I see Philosophy as a way of thinking about how we think and how we choose to live as well as it being a source of wisdom from past thinkers/philosophers and our ancestors. We all have a philosophy which undergirds how we live our lives in the same way that theology undergirds how I have lived out my calling to be a minister. Similarly, Bioethics undergirds how we make decisions about how to live and what we believe. With recent advances in genetics, many new and challenging questions have been raised in the field of Bioethics related to modifying genes and even what constitutes a living being. As to a favorite philosopher, I have always taken an eclectic approach to the study of philosophy and find useful ways of thinking about life in the works of a wide variety of philosophers. As to a favorite life scientist, of late it would be those scientists and doctors who have been reliable sources of useful information about Climate Change the Covid-19 pandemic.
ReplyDelete