Tigers Talk Ethics – A Creative Inquiry Course

Dr. Stephen Satris

Tigers Talk Ethics is an exciting talk show that is completely organized by students in a Creative Inquiry course here at Clemson University.  Students generate the ideas for the shows, serve as moderators in the shows, recruit panel members from the student body at large, interview other students outside of the studio, produce the show, and edit the tapes.  Originally begun by Philosophy & Religion faculty member and C. Calhoun Lemon Fellow of the Rutland Institute for Ethics Dr. Kelly Smith, with the assistance of Ms. Dianna Conley of the Communication Studies Department, the Creative Inquiry students now work with me. I am also Philosophy and Religion faculty member and C. Calhoun Lemon Fellow of the Rutland Institute for Ethics.

We are again working with the assistance of Ms. Dianna Conley of the Communication Studies Department.  Shows produced thus far include one on the question whether marijuana should be legalized and one on the question whether the drinking age should be lowered.  (In addition, there is another show on same-sex marriage that has already been taped and is now in the process of being edited.)  Also in the process of being edited, we have an audio discussion of Brother Micah, a rather notorious preacher who periodically comes to campus and always manages to get students riled up.  The next show is in the planning stages and will address matters of privacy in social media such as Facebook. 

Last spring, we had our premier showing of Tigers Talk Ethics in Hardin Hall, an event that drew a large audience of students (and a few faculty members too).  That particular show was about the drinking age being lowered.  Some students on the panel spoke in favor of this idea, but others spoke against it.  The purpose of the show is not so much to reach a final conclusion or to arrive at the one true answer to an ethical question, but to discuss the issue and to give a hearing to all relevant ideas – even to some ideas that drew laughter from the audience in Hardin Hall.  The laughter, in fact, showed that the students in the audience were engaged with the issue under discussion and could fully realize which ideas were sensible and which were ridiculous.  Although there may not be “one correct answer” to an ethical question, in the course of serious discussion there will generally be better and worse ideas.

Ultimately, the Tigers Talk Ethics shows will be broadcast on Clemson TV (and/or will be accessible online); they will serve to raise general campus awareness of ethical issues and ideas.

Dr. Stephen Satris

C. Calhoun Lemon Fellow/Assoc. Professor of Philosophy

Clemson University