. Matthew Pianalto Dept. of Philosophy & Religion | Truman State University

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I'm a member of the Philosophy and Religion Department at Truman State University. I received my Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Arkansas in May 2008. My interests are in ethical theory, including metaethics (especially moral realism), moral dilemmas, and most recently the nature and value of moral conviction(s) (and the relation of moral convictions to issues including integrity, toleration, and compromise). I've also been working on issues concerning the nature of happiness and well-being. I'm interested in (and inspired by) the work of Wittgenstein. A living philosopher whose work I find particularly interesting is Raimond Gaita. You will find papers reflecting some of the lines of thought I've been pursuing on my Papers, Etc. page, and germs of ideas in progress at The HEP Spot. Feel free to e-mail me at: mpianalto@truman.edu. After I depart from Truman, you can continue to find me at: matthew.pianalto@gmail.com, or at Matthew.Pianalto@eku.edu. Recent news: I will be presenting a paper tentatively entitled "Moral Conviction and Disagreement: Getting Beyond (Negative) Toleration" at the 2009 Concerned Philosophers for Peace Conference, hosted by the University of Dayton (Ohio), in November. I will be presenting a paper entitled "Moral Conviction and Character" at the 2nd Annual Rocky Mountain Ethics Congress (RoME), hosted by the University of Colorado at Boulder, in August. I've accepted a tenure-track position, starting next fall, in the Department of Philosophy & Religion at Eastern Kentucky University! I will miss Truman. It has been a wonderful year, and I've learned a lot. (I hope my students have, too...) I presented a new paper, "Happiness and the Environment," at the Inland Northwest Philosophy Conference in May. (Here's a working draft. Also, here's a handout for the presentation.) The conference was quite good, and I recommend it to other philosophers! (The INPC has a different theme every year.) My paper, "Against the Intrinsic Value of Pleasure" is now online at The Journal of Value Inquiry. You can access a fair-use copy here, or see my Papers section for a brief abstract. Photo above (c) 2008 Craig Earl Nelson.