Wake Forest to begin Year of Ethics and Honor
Legal scholar Stephen Carter, whose 1993 bestseller “The Culture of Disbelief” focused the country’s attention on the role of religious belief in public life, will speak at Wake Forest University during its 2000-2001 Year of Ethics and Honor.
Carter will deliver the Opening Convocation address on Sept. 28 at 11 a.m. in Wait Chapel.
Carter is an observer of contemporary American issues including affirmative action, race, democracy and religion. His most recent book is titled, “Civility: Manners, Morals and the Etiquette of Democracy.” He also wrote the 1997 book, “Integrity,” which explores what he considers the most important element of good character. He has written numerous other nonfiction books, including “Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby” in 1991.
Carter is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Yale Law School, where he teaches courses on constitutional law, intellectual property, and law and religion.
In addition to Carter’s speech, the theme year will include a film series, a panel discussion on business ethics, a lecture on athletics and ethics, a symposium on law and morality, and several other events designed to explore issues related to ethics and honor. “The year will focus attention on the complexity and necessity of dealing with ethical issues in all domains of life and the questions of honor and integrity in people as individuals and as members of a community,” said Samuel T. Gladding, associate provost and co-chair of the year’s planning committee.
On Sept. 26, the Calloway School of Business and Accountancy will host a program featuring three experts on business ethics.
In November, two scholars will address the ethics of humanitarian aid in a program titled, “Going Beyond Ourselves: The Ethics of Transnational Humanitarian Intervention.”
The Wake Forest Divinity School will sponsor a lecture on Christian ethics in January. Maya Angelou, poet and Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest, will present her reflections on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 23.
In February, sports commentator and writer John Feinstein will discuss college athletics and ethics. The author of the bestselling books, “On the Brink” and ” A Good Walk Spoiled,” Feinstein is also a commentator on NPR’s “Morning Edition” and a regular on ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters.”
Also in February, legal scholar Mary Ann Glendon will deliver the Founders’ Day Convocation address. Glendon, who is the Learned Hand Professor at Harvard University Law School, is the author of “Abortion and Divorce in Western Law” and “Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse.” She was appointed by Pope John Paul II to serve on the Pontifical Academy of Social Science and has worked on special projects for the Vatican.
In March, the philosophy department will host a series of four lectures on “Human Diversity and Moral Values.”
A yearlong series of films, chosen for the various moral and ethical dilemmas that the characters face, will be shown on campus. A schedule is included in the calendar of events for the year that follows.
“I think it’s an exciting year,” said Gladding. “I think it’s a year that people can tap into at almost any point and come away with new knowledge and considerations about behaviors and choices in life. It should be an unsettling year in the best sense of the word. Unsettling and, hopefully, enlightening.”
An interview with Gladding and additional information about the year’s events are posted on the “Ethics and Honor” Web page at www.wfu.edu/ethics.
The Year of Ethics and Honor is the fifth theme year celebrated at Wake Forest. Previously, the university has celebrated Science and Technology: the Next Millennium (1999-00), the Year of Globalization and Diversity (1998-99), the Year of Religion (1997-98) and the Year of the Arts (1996-97).
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