Ian Young, Ph. D. – Instructor of Phil 125R/V: Contemporary Moral Issues and PHIL 101R: Introduction to Philosophy.

Ian hails from New Zealand and came to the United States in 1993 in pursuit of Truth, Justice, the American Way and deep-fried mozzarella sticks. His special areas of philosophical interest are in political philosophy and ethics, particularly issues involving justice and cultural diversity. He has a Ph.D. in Applied Philosophy from Bowling Green State University. While working on that degree, he met and married Kim, a born and bred Bowling Greener. They have two children, Camille and Joey, two cats, Chester and Emma, and two budgies, Billy and Koko. Outside philosophy, Ian’s interests include anything outdoors (hiking, camping, running, canoeing, and cycling). He enjoys travel and food (viewing those as being closely connected), as well as going to the theatre, watching films, reading fiction, and watching television (his current favorite program is The Sopranos). He also plays soccer and coaches his son Joey’s team (Go Bombers!). He endures much agony while following the fortunes of his favorite soccer team, Leeds United, his favorite rugby team, the All Blacks, and injuring himself while working on the house he and Kim moved into in 2001.

PHIL 125R (3): Contemporary Moral Issues-Ian Young-Humanities/Arts

Drugs. Capital punishment. Immigration. Military spending. Abortion. Affirmative action. Pornography. Gun ownership. Poverty. These are the kind of issues that probably come to mind when you hear the phrase “Contemporary Moral Issues”. These are the ones that grab the headlines and that “society” seems most concerned about. But what about other questions? Should you copy an essay from the Internet? Should you have sex with someone you don’t love? Should you make jokes about people of a different ethnic group from your own? Should you help someone who is not a friend?

These are contemporary moral issues too, so it seems that moral decision-making involves both societal and personal choices.

In Contemporary Moral Issues we start from the view that the moral issues that face us are not just “out there” in society, that there is, in fact, a direct connection between what we choose in our own lives and what happens in our society as a whole. Underlying the choices we make in both of these areas are the values that we hold. Often we hold these values without being aware of them or knowing why we hold them. In this course, we will explore our values to improve our understanding of them, and the thinking that extends from them to the choices we make. There will be two main parts to the course: the first on personal decision-making and the second on wider societal issues.

Discussion and debate will form a large part of the course, along with essay writing and a general introduction to the discipline of philosophy and its sub-branch of ethics.

Project: Environmental Improvement and Park Maintenance

Ten students will be working in cooperation with Bowling Green City Parks and Recreation toward the goal of restoring local habitat to its pre-human state during this year-long project. In particular, we will be working at Wintergarden Park, eradicating non-native species as well as planting and nurturing indigenous ones. We will also be reading some philosophical articles about the ethics of ecological restoration and doing some discussion and writing around this topic. At the end of the course, students should have and increased understanding of the need for, and importance of, ecological restoration to human communities.

While the project is not directly linked to a Chapman course, the experience will dovetail with the Philosophy 125: Contemporary Moral Issues class in the fall and the Philosophy 101: Introduction to Philosophy in the spring.

This group requires that you often work outside occasionally in cold weather. There will also be some inside time with readings and discussion when the weather is especially bad.

Contact:
iyoung@bgsu.edu
Room 011