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Redmond: Star Wars Extraterrestrials - Evolution and Ethics

Event Type: Adult Program
Age Group(s): Adult
Date: 7/12/2019
Start Time: 12:00 PM
End Time: 1:00 PM
Description:
 Are aliens people too? Explore the morality in Star Wars.

The Star Wars Galaxy is well known for weird and wonderful alien lifeforms. How are those aliens related to each other - and to you? The answers to these questions about aliens in a galaxy far, far away reveal important information how we relate to each other right here on Earth. Using that information, we can also answer the ultimate questions: what is the good life and how should good people treat each other?

Join us to learn about the evolution of Star Wars aliens and what that means for ethics in our galaxy.

Leonard Finkelman is an assistant professor of Philosophy at Linfield College. He received his PhD in Philosophy from the City University of New York Graduate Center in 2013. Since then he has come to specialize in the emerging field of Philosophy of Paleontology, working on conceptual issues in extinction and the metaphysical background of dinosaur research. He is currently working towards a Master of Science degree in Vertebrate Paleontology at the University of Oregon.

In addition to this research, Leonard has written a number of outreach essays on a variety of topics including ethics, possible-world semantics, and human nature. He will also occasionally indulge interests in astronomy, prehistoric art, science fiction, and graphic novels.

Leonard's favorite dinosaur is Tyrannosaurus rex. He acknowledges that this is an uninteresting choice. Please pretend that he said Yutyrannus huali instead.

Leonard's work has been profiled in Wired Science and The Oregonian.


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Library: Redmond Public Library
Location: Silent Reading Room
Contact: Paige M. Ferro
Contact Number: 541-312-1063
Presenter: Leonard Finkelman
Link: Star Wars Alien Archive