CHAPTER MEETING -- Animal Ethics and Naturalism

Darwin Day has become an important event within the humanist community in the past couple of decades. While the actual day to commemorate Darwin’s birth--February 12th -- will already have past, we traditionally pay tribute to Darwin at our February chapter meetings. We’ll have door-prizes (win a Darwin bobble-head!) and hear a thought-provoking talk on animal ethics and naturalism by philosophy professor Jeff Johnson from St. Catherine University.

In this talk, Dr. Johnson will explore ways in how naturalistic ethics leads us to reexamine our relationship with nonhuman animals. He will discuss a few of the prominent positions and arguments secular philosophers have offered on both sides of the ethical issue of eating animals, and will critically examine some of the common defenses offered in favor of eating animals.

Join us at 10am for coffee, refreshments and socializing. The formal meeting begins about 10:20am and will be followed as usual at noon with a buffet lunch. As the meeting date approaches, watch for a separate Meet-up post to RSVP for lunch.

Street parking is available in front of the building along Mt. Curve Ave., around the adjacent park and along Groveland Ave. on the other side of the building. The #6 and #4 buses run along the Hennepin-Lyndale corridor, a block and a half away.

Dr. Johnson teaches a wide range of courses, including Ethics, Food Ethics, Environmental Ethics, Biomedical Ethics, Logic and interdisciplinary courses with colleagues on Animal Ethics, Asian Philosophy and Effective Altruism. His main aim in teaching is to help students see how philosophy connects with their lives outside the classroom.

Dr. Johnson is co-president of the Society for the Study of Ethics and Animals, the program committee chair for the North American Wittgenstein Society, and the faculty advisor for the St. Kate's student group Advocating for Animals. Dr. Johnson is on the board of Compassionate Action for Animals and he’s a member of the Humane Society of the United States Minnesota State Council where he focuses on farm animal issues.