Andrew Cullison is at present the founding govt director of the Cincinnati Ethics Middle, which launched on the College of Cincinnati in January 2022. Previous to that, he was the director of the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw College.
What do you do on the APA?
I’m the Secretary-Treasurer of the Jap Division. I began the place in January 2023, however a enjoyable truth is that I used to be additionally Secretary-Treasurer from 2013 to 2017, and I’m blissful to be again on this position. If you wish to be taught extra concerning the position, this post by my successor (and predecessor) is a very good learn.
What excites you about philosophy?
My reply could be extra about why I’m excited for philosophy (or the way forward for philosophy). Philosophy is ubiquitous. It’s in every single place, and once I crossed over into administrative/govt roles, it was initially very shocking to me how a lot of my position both concerned merely doing philosophy or was made simpler due to expertise that got here from philosophy. I all the time believed it was a “sensible” main for my college students, however I had by no means labored in a extra conventional workplace setting with non-academics till I used to be 15+ years into my tutorial profession. Greater schooling is getting increasingly more “career-oriented,” and whereas that distresses me for a wide range of causes, I believe there is a chance for philosophy to thrive even when larger schooling continues on this path.
What’s your favourite quote?
“Discover out simply what any folks will quietly undergo and you’ve got the precise measure of the injustice and fallacious which will probably be imposed on them.” – Frederick Douglass
I’ve a number of “favourite quotes” however this one has been haunting me (in a great way) for the previous 12 months. I’ve been considerably obsessive about attempting to articulate the worth of ethics schooling, notably to non-academic dad and mom who would possibly consider “ethics schooling” as “attempting to instill the professor’s values on their youngsters.” So one thing I’ve been attempting to speak to folks, college students, and directors is that ethics schooling is principally ethical reasoning improvement and ethical reasoning expertise, notably if they’re widespread throughout a inhabitants, can operate like a sort of vaccine towards injustice by “giving voice to your values.” And there are research that counsel when persons are good at ethical reasoning they’re extra prone to show ethical braveness—which principally simply means they’re extra prone to communicate up after they see one thing they assume is fallacious or unjust. Frederick Douglas is spot on, and it’s quote to lean on when articulating the worth of ethics schooling and ethical reasoning improvement.
The place is your favourite place you’ve ever traveled and why?
It’s a toss-up between St. Pete Seashore and Grand Marais, MN. They’re each stunning components of the nation, and they’re each nostalgic for me. My household and I went to the identical spot in St. Pete Seashore since 1985 once I was a younger child. My spouse’s household has been going to the Boundary Waters in MN for the reason that early ‘80s—I began going there along with her household virtually yearly for the final 20+ years. We additionally nonetheless often go there.
What are you most happy with in your non-professional life?
The Halloween costumes I’ve made for my two youngsters over time. I’m not cosplay-level good at it, however for a once-a-year pastime, I don’t assume they turned out too dangerous.
