2014 McMahon Aquinas Lecture Announced
Eva Kittay, PhD, is the 2014
McMahon Aquinas LecturerContact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
(574) 284-4579 (desk)
November 10, 2014 (Notre Dame, Ind.)— Saint Mary’s College is proud to announce philosopher Eva Kittay, PhD, will offer this year’s McMahon Aquinas Lecture. Kittay will speak on “Normalcy and the Good Life” on Wednesday, December 3 at 7 p.m. in Rice Commons in the Student Center. The event is free, and members of the public and Saint Mary’s community are encouraged to attend.
Kittay is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Stony Brook University, where she is also an affiliate of the Women’s Studies Program and a senior fellow of the Stony Brook Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics. She has published extensively on disability, equality, the ethics of care and feminist philosophy.
Kittay’s lecture focuses on normalcy and the effects of normalcy on happiness. “Why is the desire for normalcy so powerful? Is it possible to have a good life without normalcy? These are the questions I’ll address in this lecture,” Kittay said. “Some of my answers may be unexpected.”
The Edna and George McMahon Aquinas Chair in Philosophy, currently held by associate professor Michael Waddell, sponsors an annual lecture on a topic related to the thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Waddell said he could be not happier to have Kittay deliver the 2014 McMahon Aquinas Lecture.
"Eva Kittay is one of the most important figures in the field of philosophy of disabilities,” Waddell said. “To have her sharing work from her forthcoming book on intellectual disability is a wonderful opportunity for our community.”
Click for more information about this and past McMahon Aquinas Lectures.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. The College’s single-gender environment has been proven, in study after study, to foster confidence, ethical leadership, and strong academic success. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2015 published by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College’s mission is to educate women and prepare them for postgraduate success whether it’s a first job, graduate school, or postgraduate service.
Press release composed by media relations intern Haleigh Ehmsen ’16, a communication studies and English writing double major.