Ideas That Change the World

Ideas that Change the World is a discussion featuring forward-thinking speakers and presentations. It was established in 2011 to honour Tony Storey ’71, who retired after 33 momentous years as Trent's Alumni Director and deeply valued learning beyond the classroom.

Understanding Evil

Dr. Todd Calder

Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Saint Mary's University

• 

  Thursday, March 6, 2025

• 6:00 p.m.
• 

  Nozhem Performance Space, Trent University, Peterborough

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Lecture Abstract 

Calling Hitler “very bad,” or sadistic torture “very wrong” is a gross understatement. Only the concept of evil captures the moral gravity of this level of depravity. But what is evil? Philosopher Todd Calder has spent over twenty years thinking and writing on this topic. In this presentation, he discusses some common misconceptions about evil, offering a theory which promises new insights into this important moral concept.

About Todd Calder

Dr. Todd Calder is an associate professor in the department of Philosophy at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He earned his Honours B.A. from Dalhousie University, followed by an M.A. from the University of Calgary, and a Ph.D. from the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Calder specializes in ethics, moral psychology, and social philosophy. His research focuses on the concept of evil, and he has contributed to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on this topic. 

For more information, contact communityspeakerseries@trentu.ca.