Character lessons from college basketball next in Ethics Center talk
KALAMAZOO, Mich.鈥擩ust as the NCAA basketball tournament has come to a close, character lessons from the world of college basketball will be up for discussion when the Western 九一麻豆制片厂 University Center for the Study of Ethics in Society wraps up its spring lecture series.
Dr. Janelle DeWitt, WMU assistant professor of philosophy, will speak at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in the Brown and Gold Room of the Bernhard Center. Her presentation, free and open to the public, is titled, "The Wooden Doctrine鈥擝asketball, Moral Character and the Successful Life."
Janelle DeWitt
DeWitt earned her doctoral degree in philosophy from UCLA, the same school where John Wooden won 10 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships in 12 years. She is also an avid basketball player and former collegiate athlete.
Her research interests focus primarily on the nature of emotion and the complex role it plays in the development of moral character and its expression in moral action.
In her talk, DeWitt will focus on how character building is often associated with athletics, which teaches such things as discipline, focus and cooperation. Athletics develops confidence, determination and a healthy competitive spirit. But the line often stops at moral character鈥攁fter all, how could morality possibly contribute to winning?
Using Wooden as an example, DeWitt will examine this question and whether moral character can be directly conducive to success, both on and off the court, and if this ages-old lesson has been largely forgotten.
For more information, visit wmich.edu/ethics/events/lectures or contact Dr. Michael Pritchard at michael.pritchard@wmich.edu.
For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.