Why We Ought to Fear the ‘Normal'

Hello!  The UNC Charlotte Center for Professional and Applied Ethics in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences wishes to welcome back everyone to the Spring 2013 semester!  We have lots of good things lined up, so please check out the Spring 2013 Calendar of Events here.

We excitedly remind you that our first event of the year is this Thursday, January 17, from 3:30-4:45 in Cone 210.  Dr. Elizabeth Minnich presents “The Banality of Evil”/The Evil of Banality:  Why We Ought to Fear the ‘Normal.’  Dr. Minnich explains Hannah Arendt’s concept “the banality of evil” in relation to what Dr. Minnich terms “extensive evils.”  Extensive evils are large scale and long term systems of massive harm, which include genocide, slavery, sexualized violence and abuse, and exploitative labor practices.  Dr. Minnich questions how it is possible, or why these evils happen. 

Questions to think about when attending this lecture include the following:  How do ‘ordinary’ or ‘normal’ citizens make “extensive evils” happen? Without such reliable workers, extensive evil is not possible.  How do individuals, such as ourselves, consider our own possible roles in these evils?  If we understand better why and how some people refuse to be perpetrators can we also think better about how to increase their numbers, and our likelihood of being among them?  What have we learned about such questions? And what might we do as educators, students, and professionals, in response?  

For more information on Dr. Minnich, visit her website here.  This event is free and open to the public.  Parking vouchers are dispensed at the event on request.  The Ethics Center looks forward to seeing you at this event!