MATTHEW PIANALTO Department of Philosophy & Religion | Eastern Kentucky University

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Welcome. My interests are in moral philosophy, broadly construed. Recently, I've been writing about the nature and value of moral conviction(s), and the relation of convictions to virtues such as courage, humility, integrity, and most recently, patience. In light of these reflections, I address issues such as moral disagreement, toleration, and compromise. The writings of Wittgenstein greatly interest me. I've also been thinking, teaching, and writing about the place of animals in ethical theory. See my Research page and/or Problems of Life for more information about recent publications, presentations, and works-in-progress. My office is located in Case Annex, Room 259. I did my schooling at the University of Arkansas, near my hometown (Tontitown, AR). I received my Ph.D. in Philosophy in 2008. I was a visiting assistant professor for a year at Truman State University before coming to EKU in August 2009. Recent news (last updated 4.23.12): I will be presenting a paper entitled, "In Defense of Patience," at at a conference on Epictetus and Stoicism at the Rochester Institute of Technology, on April 27, 2012. My paper "Moral Courage and Facing Others," selected as the winning entry for the the Robert Papazian Annual Essay Prize on Themes from Ethics and Political Philosophy, now appears in the International Journal of Philosophical Studies 21(2), April 2012. More info about the prize here. I recently presented "Humility and Moral Disagreement" at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Philosophical Association, at Vanderbilt. (Linked version updated March 2012.) "Integrity and Struggle" is forthcoming in, Philosophia. (Official Online First version here) Issue 38(1) of Philosophical Topics, on Ethics, is now available in print. I co-edited this issue with Edward Minar. You can view the table of contents here. "Moral Conviction" appears in Journal of Applied Philosophy 28(4). "Comparing Lives: Rush Rhees on Humans and Animals," appears in Philosophical Investigations 34(3). If you enjoyed this paper, you might also be interested in my essay, "Ethics Beyond Sentience," which is forthcoming in the inaugural edition of the EKU Chautauqua Journal, which will showcase contributions by speakers in the past year's EKU Chautauqua Lecture series and by other invited authors on that year's theme which was, this past year, "Nature's Humans." "Speaking for Oneself: Wittgenstein on Ethics," appears in Inquiry 54(3). Unofficial version here.