Saturday Conversations

TOPIC:

Consent

There are many different ethical frameworks, each with their varying differences. However, consent seems to be a fairly common vein that runs through them all. Often, the difference between a moral and immoral action comes down to whether or not there was consent. In fact, searching for and verifying consent is an action we all perform on a regular basis. Some would even say that consent is the basis for society itself

Questions:

• What is consent? What do we mean when we give consent?

• Upon whom does the burden of consent lie? Who gives it, who recieves it, why?

• What are the limits and constraints to consent? (IE: it makes sense that I can consent to my car being searched, but I cannot consent to your car being searched. Where is the line? How is it justified? Does this differ from one ethical framework to another?)

• What is the relationship between consent and communication (both in terms of communicating consent and in terms of communicating what one might be consenting to)?

• What is the relationship between consent and harm? Is the breaking of consent the source of harm, or is harm something else entirely? Is this a false dichotomy? That is can we be harmed with consent, or does consent always negate harm?

Location and Price:

Upstairs there are many tables and chairs where people can gather and eat. If it's a nice day out, we may sit out on the covered balcony. As always there is a suggested, but by no means necessary, $2 donation which goes towards helping cover the costs of the meetup.