Ethics Day

This year's Ethics Day takes place on the UT Tyler main campus on March 11. We will be holding two major presentations from prestitigious guest speakers.

"The Power of Ethical Followership: Leading from Any Seat"                                                                         Dr. Stanley J. Ward - 12 p.m. - Mabry Theatre

Talk Summary: Leadership isn’t just for those with a title—strong organizations thrive when ethical followers step up with awareness, courage, and accountability. In this engaging and interactive session, participants will explore what it means to be an “ethical follower” and why followership is just as critical to success as leadership. Through a thought-provoking inventory, attendees will assess their own followership style and discover practical strategies to support their leaders, influence their organizations, and uphold shared values. Whether you hold a leadership title or not, you’ll leave with the tools to be a proactive, principled, and impactful force for positive change.

Dr. Stanley J. Ward

Leadership coach, author, and educator dedicated to helping leaders navigate high-pressure environments with integrity and resilience. He is the co-editor of Ethical Leadership: A Primer, now in its second edition, and contributed chapters on Followership and Toxic Leadership in particular. With a PhD in Leadership Studies and certification as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation, Dr. Ward has worked with leaders across higher education, medicine, law, and business. Whether coaching executives, training teams, or speaking to global audiences, he equips leaders and followers alike with the tools to lead with purpose, accountability, and resilience.

 

"Back to the Greco-Romans: The Return of Virtue Ethics"                                                                              Dr. Massimo Pigliucci - 6 p.m. - RBS 2024

Talk Summary: Much of contemporary conversations on ethics and morality are rooted either in an approach based on duties (a la Kant) or on some kind of consequentialism (a la John Stuart Mill). As a result, we keep endlessly disagreeing about whether a particular action is or is not “moral” or “right.” But a powerful alternative has existed for almost two and a half millennia: the virtue ethics practiced by ancient Greco-Romans like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Seneca. This talk will argue that the virtue ethical approach is more appropriate for the complexities of the 21st century, and that it may even help us get through the seemingly impassable quagmire of modern moral dilemmas.

Dr. Massimo Pigliucci

Author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. Massimo publishes a regular column in Philosophy Now entitled “The Art of Living.” His books include How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books) and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press). Massimo’s new book is Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers (with Greg Lopez and Meredith Kunz, The Experiment).

 

What is Ethics Day?

Ethics Day, hosted by the Center for Ethics, is a series of talks and panel discussions from esteemed faculty and guest speakers on different topics relating to ethics. These talks are open to all students, faculty, staff and community members who would like to attend, completely free. The goal of Ethics Day is to encourage learning and critical thinking on topics that affect us all, no matter what fields in which we may be studying or working. We hope these discussions lead us to become better and more ethical leaders and contributers in our lives and careers.