Professor and philosophy department head David Reidy will address the structure of authority in our American democracy in his presentation, “The Authority of Citizens: Its Nature and Limits,” at Saturday’s Pregame Showcase prior to the Homecoming football game which pits the Vols against Troy University.
The event begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Carolyn P. Brown University Center Room 213.
Free and open to the public, each showcase features a thirty-minute presentation followed by a fifteen-minute question-and-answer session. Presentations begin two hours before kickoff. A brief reception will be held immediately following each program. Door prizes will be awarded.
“Citizenship is the basic and most fundamental public office in our democracy,” said Reidy, “but like all public offices, citizenship has a structure. Citizens do not have unlimited power or authority. I will discuss the need and some proposals for a shared public understanding of the authority of citizenship as a public office.”
Reidy focuses his study on social and political philosophy, philosophy of law, and ethics. He has been a UT philosophy faculty member since 2000 and is also a Distinguished Professor in humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Here’s the lineup for the rest of the season:
- November 10—”Protecting Our Water Resources: A Microbiologist’s Perspective.” David Wilhelm, a microbiology professor who has done research in the U.S. Canada, China, and New Zealand, will talk about how new tools in molecular biology, limnology (the study of inland waters), and oceanography are helping scientists understand how natural water systems work and how to better protect water, our most valuable natural resource.
- November 24—”Armies of Heaven: The First Crusade and the Quest for Apocalypse.” Jay Rubenstein, Alvin and Sally Beaman Professor of History, former Rhodes Scholar, and 2007 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, will explain how apocalyptic thought motivated the crusaders and why this history is relevant to the modern world.
The Pregame Showcase is supported by WUOT 91.9 FM, the Office of Alumni Affairs, and UT Athletics. For more information, visit the showcase’s website.
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C O N T A C T :
Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)