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Stephen Kershnar | |
---|---|
Born | 1966 (age 57–58) |
Nationality | American |
Education |
Cornell University (
BA) University of Pennsylvania Law School ( JD) University of Nebraska–Lincoln ( PhD) |
Occupations |
|
Stephen Kershnar (born 1966) is an American philosopher, a philosophy professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia (SUNY), and an attorney. In 2022, Kershnar discussed his views and a book (published 2015) which question the immorality of "adult-child sex." His comments and the subsequent backlash led to his barring from the campus and a currently pending investigation.
His research and works focus on applied ethics and political philosophy. Kershnar has written one hundred articles and book chapters on topics including abortion, adult-child sex, hell, most valuable player, pornography, punishment, sexual fantasies, slavery, and torture. He is the author of ten books, including Desert Collapses: Why No One Deserves Anything (2021), Total Collapse: The Case Against Morality and Responsibility (2018), and Abortion, Hell, and Shooting Abortion-Doctors: Does the Pro-Life Worldview Make Sense? (2017). [1]
Kershnar completed his BA at Cornell University (1988), JD at Penn Law (1991), and PhD at the University of Nebraska (1995). [2] [3] In 2006, Kershnar was initially denied promotion to full professor, after he had criticized SUNY Fredonia's new policy regarding "student conduct policies and affirmative action practices". [4] [5][ better source needed] Thereafter, Kershnar was awarded tenure at SUNY Fredonia.
In early 2022, his arguments on "adult-child sex" in a philosophy podcast attracted criticism and led to him being banned from campus and teaching, pending an investigation. [6] [7] Kershnar has received support for his academic freedom rights in connection with this controversy from both the Academic Freedom Alliance [8] and from FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education). [9] However, the SUNY Fredonia administration faced significant pressure following Kershnar’s statements which included threats of violence, students seeking withdraw from the school, highly concerned parents, and alumni pulling funding if action was not taken. In June 2023, Kershnar filed a lawsuit against the Fredonia administration claiming violation of his first amendment rights. [10] [11] An updated related news report about the incident and ongoing investigation was published in The New York Times on September 13, 2023. [12] According to The New York Times, his comments occurred "as part of a wide-ranging thought experiment about ethics and consent", and he has stated that "adult-child sex" should be criminalized. [12]
Kershnar is recipient of various faculty awards, most notably:
As of February 2022, Kershnar has published 12 books: [17]
![]() | This article has multiple issues. Please help
improve it or discuss these issues on the
talk page. (
Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Stephen Kershnar | |
---|---|
Born | 1966 (age 57–58) |
Nationality | American |
Education |
Cornell University (
BA) University of Pennsylvania Law School ( JD) University of Nebraska–Lincoln ( PhD) |
Occupations |
|
Stephen Kershnar (born 1966) is an American philosopher, a philosophy professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia (SUNY), and an attorney. In 2022, Kershnar discussed his views and a book (published 2015) which question the immorality of "adult-child sex." His comments and the subsequent backlash led to his barring from the campus and a currently pending investigation.
His research and works focus on applied ethics and political philosophy. Kershnar has written one hundred articles and book chapters on topics including abortion, adult-child sex, hell, most valuable player, pornography, punishment, sexual fantasies, slavery, and torture. He is the author of ten books, including Desert Collapses: Why No One Deserves Anything (2021), Total Collapse: The Case Against Morality and Responsibility (2018), and Abortion, Hell, and Shooting Abortion-Doctors: Does the Pro-Life Worldview Make Sense? (2017). [1]
Kershnar completed his BA at Cornell University (1988), JD at Penn Law (1991), and PhD at the University of Nebraska (1995). [2] [3] In 2006, Kershnar was initially denied promotion to full professor, after he had criticized SUNY Fredonia's new policy regarding "student conduct policies and affirmative action practices". [4] [5][ better source needed] Thereafter, Kershnar was awarded tenure at SUNY Fredonia.
In early 2022, his arguments on "adult-child sex" in a philosophy podcast attracted criticism and led to him being banned from campus and teaching, pending an investigation. [6] [7] Kershnar has received support for his academic freedom rights in connection with this controversy from both the Academic Freedom Alliance [8] and from FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education). [9] However, the SUNY Fredonia administration faced significant pressure following Kershnar’s statements which included threats of violence, students seeking withdraw from the school, highly concerned parents, and alumni pulling funding if action was not taken. In June 2023, Kershnar filed a lawsuit against the Fredonia administration claiming violation of his first amendment rights. [10] [11] An updated related news report about the incident and ongoing investigation was published in The New York Times on September 13, 2023. [12] According to The New York Times, his comments occurred "as part of a wide-ranging thought experiment about ethics and consent", and he has stated that "adult-child sex" should be criminalized. [12]
Kershnar is recipient of various faculty awards, most notably:
As of February 2022, Kershnar has published 12 books: [17]