 "Photo: Matthew Montgomery")
Princeton Philosophy Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah, speaker at Tuesday’s Convocation, spoke to the audience about managing differences in a world of diverse cultures, where he explained the approach to living a moral life in this modern age.
A London native, Appiah was raised in Ghana by his Ghanaian father and white mother.
In his lecture, Appiah focused on cosmopolitanism, “The ideology that all kinds of human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality,” and reached to answer central ethical questions of our time.
He used the term “moral relativism” to explain this, which is the ethical position that there is no absolute morality and competing moral systems are relative to groups of those holding them.
“People are entitled to different views since they’ve had different experiences,” Appiah told the audience.
For example, Appiah began his lecture with a subject that is controversial not only between ethnic groups but also groups who share a common value through religion and nationalism, homosexuality.
Some students in the audience agreed that Appiah shed new light on managing differences in morality.
Nate Nelson, a masters of accounting student from Cedar City, said Appiah’s lecture helped him to examine moral boundaries.
“Who am I to say someone else’s morals are wrong and unacceptable,” Nelson said. “I’ve learned from my elders and community ... that not everyone has lived the way I have.”
As Appiah concluded his speech, he accepted questions from the audience which allowed him to further explain about his opinion on how cosmopolitism has flourished and progressed in today’s times.
He smiled and replied to the question by simply saying, “a lot,” where he then paused and went on to support his viewpoint.
A book signing followed the Convocation and audience members had more questions answered.
Katie Hamrick, a senior nutrition major from Pahrump, Nev., said this was her first time attending a Convocation and didn’t know what to expect, but from just this one speech, she plans to attend future Convocations.
The Grace A. Tanner Center for Human Values Direcor James W. Harrison was also pleased to have Appiah for this year’s annual lecture.
Harrison introduced Appiah and said “the center is continuing to encourage maximum exposure of student, faculty, and the larger community to the ideas which best exemplify the human condition and the values which help define it.”
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