EthicalStL.org

It's time for the end-of-summer "compare and contrast" platform address! Come learn more about Ethical Humanism and the Ethical Society by exploring some of the philosophies of ancient Greece that challenged traditional theories of reality and sought naturalistic answers to questions of how to live a meaningful and good life.

Leader in Training James Croft interviews Sunday Ethical Education for Kids Director Rachel Valenti to discuss the Ethical Humanist approach to raising happy, healthy, ethical children.

“You work where?” I get that question a lot. Thus, I have had a lot of experiences with having friends and family ask me pointed questions about genetically modified crops, yet still leaving the conversation with them thinking that I am a good person. I will share those same insights with you. I will also share my experiences working with the people who are helping farmers keep the world fed for another century.

Barrett Foat leads the Genome Data Analytics team at Monsanto. He lives in Ballwin, MO with his spouse, Casey; two boys, Julian and Simon; and two cats, Quantum and Helix. Barrett grew up in Wisconsin, surrounded by fields that grew corn and subdivisions. After completing a degree in Genetics at the University of Wisconsin, Barrett received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Columbia University in New York City.

In our unpredictable world and busy lives how do we find and maintain a sense of well being and contentment? Ellen will share some ways that she has chosen to meet adversity and transitions and to welcome more joy into her life.

Ellen was reared in Columbus, Ohio. She received a B.Sc. in Nursing from Ohio State University in 1946. She also received an M.A. in Counseling from Webster University in 1978. She practiced Psychiatric nursing in McLean Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, Public Health nursing in Wellston, Missouri and School nursing in Normandy, Missouri. She opened her private practice in Counseling in 1980 and is still active in her profession. Ellen married Dr. Anton Brasunas in 1946 and later moved to St. Louis where they became active members of the Ethical Society.

Many of us have been hurt by the religious traditions we grew up in. Like our families of origin, religious traditions are subject to "Trojan Horses" --elements which may have been useful in times past, but which now carry great pain and are harmful in today's world.

In this platform address, Walter Vesper will use some tools of psychotherapy to unpack these "Trojan Horses" in order to develop a language to bridge the conflicts between people who are sure that they're totally right and that others are totally wrong.

Walter Vesper is a retired psychotherapist who has worked as a Methodist minister, an archaeologist, a medical ethicist, and teacher of English as a foreign language in China. During the 1980s and 1990s he organized the Thanksgiving pot-luck dinner here at the St. Louis Ethical Society, before moving to New Jersey where he was a member of the Princeton Ethical Fellowship.

It seems the simplest thing in the world: whenever we want to persuade someone of the rightness of our thinking, we should offer them some data wrapped in a convincing logical argument. They will be so impressed by our argument that they will change their minds. But this rarely happens! Often, others seem impervious to rational discussion entirely. Why? Because we are not Spock – we are driven more by emotions than by logic.

Webster Groves Mayor Welch speaks about active citizen involvement in the government.

Mayor Gerry Welch was elected to the Webster Groves City Council in 1994 and first elected mayor in 1998. Welch grew up in a small town in western Pennsylvania where she received her bachelor’s degree in economics from Seton Hill University. She went on to get her master’s in economics at Marquette University (Wis.) where she met her husband, Patrick. The couple moved to Webster Groves in the 70s when Patrick Welch took a job at St. Louis University. Welch eventually took a position at St. Louis Community College - Meramec. While there, she taught, worked in administration and staff development and served as a department chair. Welch greatly enjoys writing. During her time at Meramec, she co-authored an economics textbook, “Economics Theory and Practice,” with her husband.

When the voters of the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County went to the polls in August 1876 they approved a plan that would forever change the economic, social, and political structure of the region. The voters agreed to separate two political entities that had long been at odds with one another. Rural-urban divisions, corruption, economic self-interests, and the political upheavals of the Civil War all played a part in a scheme that the residents of our region continue to struggle with to this day. Christopher Gordon will examine the origins of what became known as the Great Divorce and its consequences over the last one hundred and thirty-nine years.

Christopher Gordon is the Director of Library and Collections for the Missouri History Museum. He grew up in southwest Missouri and at-tended Missouri State University where he received a B.A. in political science and M.A. in history. Prior to moving to St. Louis in 2002 to begin his career at MHM, he served as the director of the Henry County Museum and Cultural Arts Center in Clinton, Missouri. Christopher is currently writing Fire, Pestilence, and Death: St. Louis, 1849, a book focusing on the dramatic events of the year 1849 in St. Louis.

Historically, the field of psychology has placed a lot of attention on what’s wrong with people and what we can do to treat disorders of the mind. More recently, however, the field has broadened its scope to give more attention to the positive side of human nature and the most effective ways to pursue the good life. This presentation will discuss the scientific study of happiness and strategies for life satisfaction based on research. In particular, how much of our happiness is actually in our control, and how can we find happiness even amid challenges we face in our world?

Timothy J. Bono received his BA and PhD in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis where he is currently an Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and Lecturer in the Department of Psychology. Tim’s teaching and research focus on positive psychology and college student development. He is the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence at Washington University, and he also received the Out-standing Research Award from the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education. His research and ideas have been featured in a number of media outlets including Fast Company and CNN.

The life cycle of the Monarch butterfly requires an amazing and unique journey, spanning North America from southern Mexico to the provinces of Canada. Extreme weather conditions, land development and modern agricultural practices have had significant impacts on this journey, which is vital for sustaining the life of the Monarch butterfly. Learn about the work of Monarch Watch and how we can make a difference in our backyards by planting milk-weed to accommodate the nutrition and life cycle requirements of the iconic Monarch butterfly.

William (Bill) T. Ruppert owns and manages the St. Louis office of National Nursery Products, a horticultural company representing wholesale growers of land-scape plants. Bill holds a BS degree in Agriculture, with an emphasis in ornamental horticulture and landscape design, from the University of Missouri Columbia.