•  55
    The Hero and Asymmetrical Obligation: Levinas and Ricoeur in Dialogue
    International Philosophical Quarterly 50 (2): 157-166. 2010.
    In defending Levinas’s ethical theory against Ricoeur’s objections in Oneself as Another, I make a two-fold argument in regard to heroic action and the ordinary ethical relation. First, I suggest a definition of the hero as she who does what is right—that is, what is ethically necessary or obligatory—even when it requires extreme sacrifice. Second, I argue that the development of virtuous character, out of which such heroic action comes, is dependent upon the asymmetrical relation between an alt…Read more
  •  49
    Encountering and Understanding Suffering
    Teaching Philosophy 32 (2): 153-176. 2009.
    In this article I claim that service-learning experiences, wherein students work directly with individuals in need—individuals from whom studentscan learn what they cannot learn elsewhere—are invaluable, and perhaps necessary, for any curriculum with an aim toward the development of ethical understanding, personal moral character and commitment, and/or conscientious citizenship, both local and global. My argument rests on Emmanuel Levinas’s philosophical ethical theory that re-envisions the ethi…Read more
  •  26
    Push, Pull, and Reverse: Self-Interest, Responsibility, and the Global Health Care Worker Shortage (review)
    with Patricia Siplon
    Health Care Analysis 20 (2): 152-176. 2012.
    The world is suffering from a dearth of health care workers, and sub-Saharan Africa, an area of great need, is experiencing the worst shortage. Developed countries are making the problem worse by luring health care workers away from the countries that need them most, while developing countries do not have the resources to stem the flow or even replace those lost. Postmodern philosopher Emmanuel Levinas offers a unique ethical framework that is helpful in assessing both the irresponsibility inher…Read more
  •  13
    Encountering and Understanding Suffering
    Teaching Philosophy 32 (2): 153-176. 2009.
    In this article I claim that service-learning experiences, wherein students work directly with individuals in need—individuals from whom studentscan learn what they cannot learn elsewhere—are invaluable, and perhaps necessary, for any curriculum with an aim toward the development of ethical understanding, personal moral character and commitment, and/or conscientious citizenship, both local and global. My argument rests on Emmanuel Levinas’s philosophical ethical theory that re-envisions the ethi…Read more