The Moral CV

Administrative

January: Reason vs. Faith

February: Existentialism

Through the February topic of existentialism, we want to address questions like the following: What is the meaning of life? Is there a meaning to life? If so, does it exist outside of ourselves or do we create our own meaning? Do humans have free will? What happens after death? Are we truly mortal? Is there intelligent life somewhere else in the universe?

March: Morality and Ethics

Through the March topic of morality and ethics, we want to address questions like the following: In terms of morality, do you think good and evil exist? If so, how do you define them? Would good and evil exist without intelligent life? Do good and evil originate from outside ourselves or from within? Do good and evil differ from right and wrong? What role does compassion play in your life? What if any is our obligation to the truth versus lies and deception? In terms of ethics, what is the relationship between ethics and the functioning of human society? Should humans have basic rights? What role does human nature play in ethics?

April: Explanations

Through the April topic of explanations, we want to address questions that offer explanations of human behavior: What role does psychology play as an explanation of human behavior? What role does evolution play in answering this question? What roles do nature and nurture play? Does one outweigh the other?

May: The Self

Through the May topic of the self, we want to address questions like the following: In terms of consciousness, what effects does mental health have? What effects do drugs have on consciousness? How does creativity affect consciousness? How does learning? In terms of identity, how important is the image we create of ourselves? Does your identity include identifiable and concrete character traits? Do values significantly contribute to your identity? In terms of life purpose, how important is your career? Ambition? Have you left your proverbial bubble to discover something new?

June: Relationships

Through the June topic of relationships, we want to address questions like the following: What roles do friendship and companionship play in your life? What is love to you? What is your take on sexuality? How does the modern institution of marriage relate to friendship, love, and sexuality? What family values did your parents or guardians impress upon you if any, and if you want a family of your own do you want to impart these values on your family or different ones?

July: Politics

Through the July topic of politics, we want to address questions like the following: What is the role of government in society? Are some types of governments better than others? Do you think the government that you are most familiar with is functioning well? What is the biggest problem with this government? What is its best quality? Is there ever a time for war? Can human governments ever transcend the need for war? What is the role of law in the relationship between governments and the people?

August: Economics

September: Society

Through the September topic of society, we want to address questions like the following: What is society's responsibility to the education of its young people? To the health of its citizens? To privacy, especially in light of advancements in surveillance capabilities? How important is tolerance to society, and what are the detrimental effects of intolerance? What prevents society from achieving equality in terms of defining characteristics like sex, ethnicity, and sexual orientation?

October: Consumerism

Through the October topic of consumerism, we want to address questions like the following: How does mass media use techniques such as storytelling (http://www.ted.com/talks/tyler_cowen_be_suspicious_of_stories) to influence and control people? How has consumerism contributed to a first-world mentality, including our need to perfect our image and accumulate wealth and success? What is the relationship between consumerism and tragedies such as mass-shootings, mental-health problems, terrorism, and other disasters? Is consumerism having a negative effect on arts such as music, film, and literature or contributing to new and often sub-par “contemporary art”? What effect is consumerism having on the alcohol, drug, and dietary problems of people?

November: Youth

Through the November topic of youth, we want to address questions like the following: What is the current state of “college culture” and is it a desirable state? What do the current practices of Greek life reflect about today’s youth? How has the internet and emergent digital society affected today’s youth?

December: Moral CVs

This is where you are invited, in December of 2015, to publish your personal manifesto, or Moral CV, taking inspiration from based on all of the discussions we have had on this website. Form and structure is entirely your choice, but I am happy to provide some guidance as well. Please feel free to work on a draft throughout the year (as is recommended), and if you are ready, please also reveal who you are at this time. Feel free to comment on each other's CVs with words of encouragement, or point out areas that could use more work. Moral CVs are never set in stone, rather it is the act of building and continually rebuilding them that ultimately makes moral people.