"Wondering about Wonder: How to Empathize with the Universe" will be the topic of discussion during Tea and Ethics at Coastal Carolina University on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 4:30 p.m. in the James J. Johnson Auditorium in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration on campus. The public is invited to attend this free event. Refreshments will be available.

The discussion will be led by Matthew Kisner, associate professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina. During the discussion, Kisner will explore the concept of wonder. Wonder has been a subject of philosophical interest for thousands of years, especially among the ancient Greeks. Although it was neglected for much of the 20th and 21st centuries, there has recently been a return to interest in wonderment and associated emotions, such as awe fascination. Kisner will draw attention to an under-theorized aspect of wonder that is illuminated by an account of wonder as empathy with an imaginatively constructed perspective.

"Do you remember the first time you ever saw snow? Or have you ever visited the Grand Canyon?" said Kisner. "People often report that these experiences inspire the emotion of wonder. In my presentation, I propose an explanation of wonder, according to which wonder involves shifting our perspective. This indicates that wonder is important because it prompts the changes in perspective that help us to grow, change and to develop ethically. It also indicates wonder is connected to empathy, another emotional responses that involves changing perspective."

Kisner earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at San Diego in 2004. His research interests are early modern philosophy and the history of ethics. Much of his research focuses on early modern efforts on how to articulate the moral value of emotions or passions. He is currently working on a historical philosophy project called "Spinoza: Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order."

This presentation is sponsored by CCU's Jackson Family Center for Ethics and Values. The purpose of this center is to cultivate and promote awareness in the community of the importance of personal and professional integrity. Learn more at coastal.edu/humanities/centersandinitiatives/ethicsjacksoncenter.

The Wall College is located at 119 Chanticleer Drive E. on the Conway campus. For more information, contact Brian Edgerton, assistant director of the Jackson Family Center, at 843-349-4149 or email bjedgert@coastal.edu.