University of Wisconsin - Stout

Dr. Timothy Shiell

Professor of Philosophy

Ph.D. University of Iowa (1988), B.A. Moorhead State University (1982)

Office: Room 418D Harvey Hall
Telephone: (715) 232.1490
E-mail: shiellt@uwstout.edu
Fax: 715.232.2093
 

 

Office Hours

 Fall Semester 2006-2007: MWF 10:10 to 11:05 a.m. and 1:25 to 2:20 p.m.; T 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and by appointment

Classes

  • Philosophy 201-002: Introduction to Philosophy, MWF 8 to 8:55 a.m.
  • Philosophy 201-001: Introduction to Philosophy, MWF 9:05 to 10:00 a.m.
  • Philosophy 235-002: General Ethics, MWF 11:15 to 12:10 p.m.
  • Philosophy 235-001: General Ethics, MWF 12:20 to 1:15 p.m.

Publications and Presentations

My main research interest is freedom of speech, but I have done work on several legal/political/moral issues such as physician-assisted suicide and political obligation as well as the teaching of ethics.  Currently, I am working on a book and website regarding free speech controversies in Wisconsin.  In general my research and publications have followed my teaching interests in the theoretical and practical issues that lie at the intersections of ethics, politics, and law.  My research has been funded through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the UW-Stout Faculty Research Initiative, the Maybelle Ranney Price Professorship, and the Reinhart and Borghild Dahlgren Professorship. 

Books

  • Free Speech in Wisconsin: Our War Over Words (in progress)
  • Campus Hate Speech on Trial  (University Press of Kansas, 1998)
  • Legal Philosophy (Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1993) 

Articles

  • “Three Conceptions of Academic Freedom,” in Evan Gerstmann and Matthew Streb (eds.), Academic Freedom at the Dawn of a New Century: How Terrorism, Governments, and Culture Wars Impact Free Speech at Home and Abroad, (Stanford University Press, 2006).
  • “Campus Hate Speech on Trial,” pp. 153-163, reprinted in Charles Cooper & Susan Peck MacDonald, Writing the World: Reading and Writing about Issues of the Day (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000).
  • Interview by Dr. Mary Wagner, “Two Sides: The Scope of Free Speech and Hate Speech in the Community College," Michigan Community College Journal (Spr 2000), pp. 22-36.
  • “How an Ethics Center Can Help Integrate Ethics into Technical Curriculum,” CD-Rom, Conference on Integrating Ethics into Technical Curriculum, Raritan Valley CC (NJ), June 3-4, 1999.
  • "Putting Prisoner's Dilemma to Work," APA Newsletter on Teaching Philosophy (Spr 1996).
  • "Writing In Philosophy," Writing Across the Curriculum at UW-Stout (Fall 1993).
  • "The Unity of Plato's Political Thought," History of Political Thought (Aug 1991), pp. 377-390.
  • "A Defense of Social Metaphysical Holism," Michigan Academician No. 1 (1991), pp. 317-327.
  • "Assessing Dworkin's Theory of Political Obligation," Heraclitean Society Proceedings 15 (1990), pp. 23-32.
  • "Hartshorne on Humanism: A Comment," Naturalistic Humanism 24 (Sum. 1990), pp. 107-112.
  • "Making Sense Out of a Necessary Connection Between Law and Morality," Public Affairs Quarterly 1 (Jul. 1987), pp. 77-91.
  • "On Marx's Holism," History of Philosophy Quarterly 4 (Apr. 1987), pp. 235-246.
  • 'In Defense of Plato's Two Ideal States," in Chekola, Johanson, and Meyers (eds.), Prarie Home Philosophy (Moorhead State Univ. Press, 1987), pp. 132-140.

Presentations/Papers/Panels/Workshops/Media Appearances

  • Panelist, Symposium on Civility and Free Speech, Winona State University, Feb/2005
  • “Using Wisconsin’s Free Speech History in the Classroom,” with Joe Braun), 2nd Annual Dialogues with Democracy: Improving Civic Education in Wisconsin’s Schools,” UW-Madison, Nov/2004
  • “Free Speech,” (with Joe Braun), River Falls Public Library Contemporary Lecture Series, Oct/2004
  • “Ethics 101: Useful Ideas for Ethical Professionals,” UW-Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Conference, Oct/2004
  • “Free Speech,” (with Joe Braun), UW-Eau Claire, Oct/2004
  • “Wisconsin’s Free Speech Legacy,” UW-Stout, Sept/2004
  • Guest (with Dr. Tom Franklin), Mike Simon Interview, WAXX/WAYY, Eau Claire, June 2004
  • Guest, The Ben Marens Show, Wisconsin Public Radio, June 2004
  • Guest (with Dr. Tom Franklin), “The Westside,” hosted by Mary Jo Wagner, Wisconsin Public Radio, June/2004
  • Session Leader, “Hate Speech and Hate Crimes,” Law and Liberty Roundtable, College of Law, University of Illinois, May/2004
  • Panelist, “Male Instructors and Feminism,” 28th Annual UW-System Women’s Studies Conference, Oct/2003
  • Panelist, “Professional Codes of Conduct,” Menomonie Sunrise Rotary Club, Oct/2003
  • Workshop, “Right and Wrong 101: Useful Ideas for Ethical Professionals,” College of Arts and Sciences Administrative Assistants Professional Development Day, May/2003
  • Poster Presentation, “Ethics In and About the Classroom,” UW-Stout Research Day, Apr/2003
  • “’Traditional Ethical Systems’ as a Concept for Teaching Ethics,” Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) 12th Annual Meeting, Charlotte, NC, Feb/2003
  • “Ethics 101,” Management of Nonprofit Organizations Seminar, Feb/2003
  • “Teaching Ethics through a Center for Ethics,” (with Dr. Jerry Kapus), AAPT 14th International Conference on Teaching Philosophy, Thomas More College, Aug/2002
  • “Meet the Center for Ethics,” UW-Stout Open House Day, May, 2002
  • “Ethics in the Curriculum,” UW-Stout Celebrate Teaching Day, Apr/2002
  • Workshop, “Ethical Decision-Making,” Northwest Wisconsin American Business Ethics Award, Menomonie, WI, Mar/2002
  • “The Constitutionality of Academic Hostile Environment Policies: Two Puzzling Cases,” 11th Annual Meeting, Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, Cincinnati, OH, Mar/2002
  • “Meet the Center for Ethics,” Menomonie Noon Rotary Club, Aug/2001
  • “Ethical Decision-Making,” UW-Stout Residence Life Staff, June/2001
  • Keynote Speaker: “Hate Speech on the American Campus,” 1st Annual William Barto Memorial Lecture Series, Fulton-Montgomery Community College, NY, Apr/2001
  • “Ethics in HR Management,” 19th Annual Central Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management Meeting, Wausau, WI, Apr/2001
  • “The UW-Stout Center for Ethics,” UW-Stout Alumni Association Meeting, Mar/2001
  • “Taking Ethics Outside the Classroom,” Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, 10th Annual Meeting, Cincinnati, OH, Mar/2001.
  • “The Slippery Slope,” UW-Stout DECA Marketing Education Banquet, Feb/2001
  • Guest Speaker, Hall Center for the Humanities, University of Kansas, Oct/1999
  • "Ethics and Leadership," Wisconsin Honors Society Meeting, Sept/1998
  • "Custom is King," UW-Stout University Honors Program Meeting, Sept/1998
  • "Religious and Non-religious Ethics," UW-Stout Newman Center, Feb/1997
  • Roundtable discussion of campus hate speech, UW-Stout, Oct/1995 and Mar/1996
  • "Writing to Learn," Coyote: Writing Across the Curriculum Newsletter, Oct/1995.
  • "Should We Legalize Physician-Assisted Suicide?," Divine Word College, Mar/1995
  • "Should a University Enforce Speech Restrictions?," Minnesota Philosophical Society, Oct/1994
  • "Regulating Hate Speech," American Philosophical Association, Apr/1994
  • "Integrating Writing into the Curriculum," UW-Stout Faculty Workshop, Oct/1995
  • "Ethical Issues in Teaching," UW-Eau Claire Faculty Workshop, May/1995
  • "Using Student-Generated Case Studies in Teaching Ethics," Lilly Teaching Retreat, Oct/1994
  • "Teaching for Life: Four Steps to Success," UTIC Summer Institute, Aug/1993
  • "Hate Speech and Hostile Environment Law," Wisconsin Philosophical Association, Mar/1993
  • "Ronald Dworkin’s Theory of Political Obligation," Heraclitean Society, Apr/1991
  • "The Existence of Social Objects," Michigan Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Letters, Mar 1991
  • "Social Entities and Liberalism," AMINTAPHIL Conference, Nov/1990
  • "Positional Duties," WMU Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, Nov/1990
  • "Integrity and Political Obligation," Creighton Club Annual Meeting, Apr/1989
  • "The Justice of Distributive inequalities," Metropolitan State College (Col.), Mar/1989
  • "Enhancing Students’ Ethical Choices," SUNY-College at Oswego Faculty Workshop, Jan/1989
  • "On Skepticism," Minnesota Philosophical Society, Apr/1982

Book Reviews

  • Review of Michael Kent Curtis, Free Speech,“The People’s Darling Privilege”: Struggles for Freedom of Expression in American History, The Historian (Spr 2002), pp. 738-739.
  • "The Apology Approach," An invited on-line review of Richard Abel, Speaking Respect, Respecting Speech, Jurist: The Law Professor’s Network (Dec 1998) URL: http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/lawbooks/revdec98.htm
  • Review of Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Moral Dilemmas, Idealistic Studies (Wtr 1992).
  • Review of T. Baldwin, G.E.Moore, Journal of Value Inquiry 26 (Jan 1992), pp. 141-145.
     

Teaching Interests

I got my first taste of teaching as an undergraduate, substituting for my philosophical mentor, Dr. Charles Magel of Moorhead State University in ethics and history of philosophy classes. I enjoyed it immensely, discovered I was pretty good at it, and have been at it ever since. My main teaching interests concern both theoretical and practical issues that lie at the intersections of ethics, politics, and law.

Courses I have taught (at Stout and elsewhere) include: Introduction to Philosophy, Introduction to Logic, Critical Thinking, General Ethics, Business Ethics, Medical Ethics, Professional Ethics, Philosophy and Human Nature, Ancient Philosophy, Social Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Law, Race and Gender Issues, along with various seminars, independent readings and honors projects.

I am the recipient of a Certificate of Teaching Excellence from the American Philosophical Assocation (1995), a former Wisconsin Teaching Fellow (1992-1993), and an invited visiting professor at the College of Visual Arts teaching a special course on multicultural philosophy (Spring 1998).

Personal Interests

 I like to spend time with my family of course: my wife Carolyn, and daughter Mackenzie (now a freshman at Augsburg College) and son Ethan (a junior at Eau Claire Memorial HS). We travel together (our favorite trips include Scotland, Paris, San Diego, Washington D.C., North Carolina, and Maine), play sports and games together, discuss the headlines of the day, and other fun stuff.

I am a soccer player and fan and coach, and former referee and administrator. I started playing and became an avid fan when Italy won the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Of course I watched the "Azzuri" captained by the marvelous Fabio Cannavaro win again this summer, as they defeated the head-butting "Les Bleus" of France led by Zinedine Zidane. Viva Italia! Forza Azzuri! Quattro tiempo campioni del mundo! I coached youth soccer teams for many years (including a MYSA Premier team) and now am an assistant coach (goalkeeper coach) with the UW-Eau Claire Women's soccer team.

I am a long-time runner. I would guess I've run nearly 50,000 miles (25 years averaging 2,000 miles a year). When I was younger I ran 100+ miles a week, but nowadays I'm lucky to average 40 miles a week. Many of my best philosophical ideas and arguments have come while running out on the road or on the wooded path, plus it is very relaxing. Some days you feel like you can fly!

Last update: Tuesday, September 05, 2006