Hear how new technologies impact the evolution of peacemaking from a renowned ethicist, Oct. 18

Join the University of Alabama at Birmingham for a keynote address by George Lucas, an acclaimed ethicist who focuses on war ethics and peace efforts, Oct. 18. "Emerging Technologies and the Changing Nature of … Peacemaking" will be at the Hill Student Center Alumni Theatre, from 4-6 p.m.

Lucas, distinguished chair in ethics emeritus at the United States Naval Academy, and professor emeritus of ethics and public policy at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, will explore insights from his most recent book, titled "Law, Ethics and Emergent Military Technologies."

According to him, much attention in the technology sector has been exclusively focused on the changing nature of warfare. He desires to shift the discussion's goal to attaining stable peace, reducing the incidence of armed conflict and its collateral harm by countering the root causes of conflict.

Currently, Lucas is also the Alfred North Whitehead Visiting Professor of Philosophy at the Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Lucas is the author of nine books and more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, translations and book reviews. His main areas of interest are applied moral philosophy and military ethics, and he has written on such topics as irregular and hybrid warfare, cyber conflict, military and professional ethics, and ethical challenges of emerging military technologies.

Lucas' teaching experience encompasses Georgetown University, Notre Dame University, Emory University, Case-Western Reserve University, Randolph-Macon College, the French Military Academy, the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium and, most recently, the U.S. Naval War College.

This talk is open to the public; no registration is required.

This keynote address is presented by the Department of Philosophy, and it is a part of the Concerned Philosophers for Peace Annual Meeting organized by David Chan, Ph.D., professor of philosophy. The talk is co-sponsored by the UAB departments of Anthropology and Political Science and Public Administration, and the UAB Institute for Human Rights.