UA Philosophy Today Series Kicks Off with ‘Is There a Right to Immigrate?’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Michael Huemer, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado, will speak Sept. 16 at The University of Alabama on “Is There a Right to Immigrate?” at 7:30 p.m. in room 205 of Smith Hall.

The talk begins UA’s 2010-2011 Philosophy Today lecture series that features four experts discussing controversial and provocative philosophical topics.

The lectures are geared toward a general audience and should be of interest to those in any profession or academic discipline. The presentations are free and open to the public.

“Current U.S. immigration restrictions are both coercive and harmful to many potential immigrants,” Huemer said. “These characteristics mark the policy as a prima facie rights-violation.

“Defenders of the policy must therefore identify special circumstances that would account for why either the harmful coercion fails to violate rights in this case, or the rights of potential immigrants to be free from harmful coercion are outweighed.”

Huemer received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his doctorate from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, both in philosophy. He has taught at the University of Colorado since 1998.

Most of his research has been in epistemology, the philosophical study of knowledge. He has written two books, the most recent “Ethical Intuitionism” in 2005, and authored dozens of articles on topics in ethics, metaethics, metaphysics and political philosophy.

The Philosophy Today series is sponsored by UA’s College of Arts and Sciences; the department of philosophy; a grant from Louis W. Perry of La Jolla, Calif.; and other alumni and friends of the department.

The second speaker in the series is Dr. Derk Pereboom of Cornell University, who will speak on “Meaning in Life and the Illusion of Free Will” Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in room 205 of Smith Hall.

UA’s department of philosophy is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, 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 Team.