Kevin Guilfoy, associate professor of philosophy at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis., will speak on the topic "Can Vindictiveness be a Virtue?" on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 4:30 p.m. in the Wall boardroom at Coastal Carolina University. The event, part of the Philosopher's Corner series, is free and open to the public.

Gilroy will discuss a common theme in American cinema: vindictiveness, or revenge, as a justifiable course of action. He will discuss questions including: Is it wrong to harm others if they have done so to you or your loved ones? Can vindictiveness be not only justified, but a virtue?

Guilfoy specializes in medieval philosophy and the philosophy of language and metaphysics. He is co-editor of the "Cambridge Companion to Peter Abelard" and recently edited "Americans and Philosophy: Reds in the Bed." He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

The event is organized through Coastal Carolina University's Jackson Family Center for Ethics and Values, which aims to cultivate ethical awareness within the academy and surrounding community, through programs and events that fostering inclusive conversations on important contemporary ethical issues. The mission of the center is to create opportunities for open conversations about how ethics and values affect the individual, the University, the region and the world. The Philosopher's Corner series is one of the ways the center fosters open dialogue, as well as the center's recurring Tea & Ethics series.

The Wall boardroom is located in Room 222 of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration at 119 Chanticleer Drive E. on CCU's main campus. Parking is available in lot R, outside the Brittain building and adjacent to the Wall building; for more information, visit coastal.edu/safety/parking.

For more information or any questions regarding the event, contact Nils Rauhut, director of the Jackson Center, at nrauhut@coastal.edu or 843-349-2547. Visit coastal.edu/jacksoncenter.