Philosopher Asks ‘What’s Wrong With Human Cloning?’ in Lecture at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A sheep named Dolly in 1996 raised the possibility of the cloning of human beings in the near future. To address this issue, Dr. Alastair Norcross, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado at Boulder, will lecture on “The Clone Wars: What’s Wrong With Human Cloning?” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in the AIME Building, room 110, on The University of Alabama campus.

Norcross’s research focus is on ethical theory, specifically the discussion of such ethical theories such as utilitarianism. He also has worked in such areas of applied ethics as euthanasia, abortion and animal rights.

He has been published articles in a wide range of philosophy journals, including The Philosophical Review, The Journal of Philosophy, Philosophy & Public Affairs, Philosophical Studies, Analysis, The Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Social Theory and Practice and The Pacific Philosophical Quarterly. He is a past president of the Southwestern Philosophical Society and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Moral Philosophy.

Norcross received a bachelor’s degree in classics from Oxford University and his master’s and doctoral degrees in philosophy from Syracuse University. He has taught at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Southern Methodist University, the University of Arizona and Rice University. At Colorado, he is associate director of the Center for Values and Social Policy.

The 2008-2009 Philosophy Today lecture series features four experts lecturing on several key areas of philosophy. These free, nontechnical lectures are geared toward a general audience and should be of interest to those in any profession or academic discipline.

The series is sponsored by The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences; the department of philosophy; a grant from Louis W. Perry of La Jolla, Calif., and Frank Peters of Corona del Mar, Calif.; and other alumni and friends of the department.

For more information, contact Dr. H. Scott Hestevold, chairman of the department of philosophy, at 205/348-1912.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All-American Teams.