October 17, 2013
Susan Sterrett from Wichita State will present 'The Morals of Model-Making' Oct. 18
Susan G. Sterrett, Curtis D. Gridley distinguished professor of history and philosophy of science at Wichita State University, will present "The Morals of Model-Making" at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct 18, in 203 Dickens Hall.
Sterrett will speak about values in modeling in engineering. She will discuss evaluating proposed geoengineering schemes in response to climate change. She also will compare the importance of modeling in engineering with the importance that moral perception has according to a view in ethics called "moral particularism." It is the idea that what actions are morally called for depends on the details of a situation, rather than being formulable in terms of general principles.