AAP Press Lunch: Friday 29th June 2007

Eat, Drink, Think
Lunch with Raimond Gaita and other leading thinkers

What is an ethical life? How should we manage the moral and social challenges raised by advances in bio-technology, such as genetic engineering, stem cell research and human cloning? How does our conscious experience relate to our ever expanding scientific knowledge of how the brain functions? In the face of terrorism, how should we balance civil liberty against national security?

Per capita, Australia has produced more outstanding philosophers than any other nation, including France. New Zealand's philosophers obtained the highest score of all disciplines in the government's 2003 national assessment of research quality. Philosophers in both countries are acknowledged internationally for their applied research. Not confining themselves to theory, they address practical questions of public import, such as those listed above. In an ever more complex world, philosophers are making a valuable contribution to our understanding on a wide range of issues, from disputes in politics to controversies in biology.

In order to showcase the latest in philosophical research, as well demonstrate the contribution that philosophers can make to contemporary issues, the AAP hosted a lunch for representatives of the media with a select group of leading Australasian philosophers. Over lunch, five philosophers gave a brief presentation on an aspect of their research and its public relevance.

In addition to these presentations, two prizes were announced - the 2007 AAP Media Prize to Dr Jeremy Moss and an AAP Special Media Prize for services in the public domain to Alan Saunders for his ABC Radio National program: The Philosopher's Zone.

AAP Press Lunch speakers:

Raimond Gaita on philosophy's importance to culture. Gaita is Foundation Professor of Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University and Professor of Moral Philosophy at King's College, University of London. His books, which have been acclaimed both by academics and more general readers have been translated into many languages. They include: Good and Evil: An Absolute Conception, A Common Humanity; Thinking about Love & Truth & Justice, The Philosopher's Dog, Why the War was wrong (contributor and editor) and Breach of Trust: Truth, Morality and Politics (Quarterly Essay 16). Gaita has contributed extensively to public discussion in Australia and abroad. His award winning memoir, Romulus My Father, has been adapted into a film directed by Richard Roxburgh and starring Eric Bana and Franka Potente. It will be released in Australia on 31st May 2007.

Tony Coady on political philosophy and political violence. Tony is Professorial Fellow in Applied Philosophy at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (CAPPE), University of Melbourne. Tony's current research work focuses on the justifiability of political violence and humanitarian intervention, as well as Just War Theory and Terrorism. Tony is renowned internationally for his work in political violence and political ethics. Tony's latest book, Morality and Political Violence, is due to be released by Cambridge University Press (US) later this year.

David Chalmers on 'What is Consciousness?'. Professor Chalmers is an Australian Research Council Federation Fellow at the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University and Director of the Centre for Consciousness. Dave has written extensively on the philosophy of mind and is the author of The Conscious Mind. His paper on The Matrix as Metaphysics features on the official Matrix website. Dave maintains an active web presence and is currently the President of the AAP.

Sue Dodds on bio-ethics. Sue is Professor of Philosophy and Head of the School of English Literatures, Philosophy and Languages at the University of Wollongong. Sue is Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Grant about the making of health policy in ethically contentious domains. Sue is also Chief Investigator and leader of the Ethics Project for the Australian Research Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), which is investigating the impact of research into nanostructured electromaterials for use in/on human bodies to alleviate disease and enhance human capacities and the social forces shaping these developments. Sue is an author of many academic publications as well as a contributor to the commissioned Federal Government Report - Human Research Ethics Handbook.

Tim Dare on what philosophers know about ethics. Dr Tim Dare is a Senior Lecturer in the Philosophy Department at the University of Auckland. Tim works in the areas of philosophy of law and professional ethics. Tim won the 2003 AAP Media Prize for his ethics columns in New Zealand newspapers and weeklies.

For more information contact the AAP's Media Officer Caroline West or the AAP's Executive Officer Eliza Goddard.

Further contact details