Pop Culture: Muggles, Wizards, and Merpeople

Dr. James Okapal, Professor of Philosophy at Missouri Western State University, presents this guest lecture.

The complete title is Muggles, Wizards, and Merpeople: Moral Status in the Harry Potter Universe. Dr. Okapal's presentation traces different ideas about who is, and who is not, in the moral community as found in the Harry Potter novels, movies, and related media.

James M. Okapal is Professor of Philosophy at Missouri Western State University. His research focuses on the intersection of ethics and literature with special interest in theories of moral status and friendship. He has presented and published over a dozen articles in this area focusing primarily on science fiction and fantasy. He is currently the editor for McFarland Publishing’s Ethics and Culture series, is co-Chair of the Philosophy and Culture Area at the Pop Culture Association National Conference, and is a member of the ethics committees of MOSAIC Health Care Systems and the Pop Culture Association. (blog.apaonline.org)

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