VIU Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity

Institute of Practical Philosophy

Founded by Bob Lane, the Institute promotes innovative ways of exploring contemporary social and political problems. The Institute has, for example, hosted a conference on B.C.’ s new health care consent and representation agreement legislation, offered an upper level course in health care ethics at NRGH, developed a clinical case consultation workshop and hosted several symposia  on such topics as genetically modified foods, environmental ethics and social and political issues in Latin America. The Institute also publishes a chapbook series on a number of topics including health care ethics and effective social responses to crime.

In 2014-15 the Institute redesigned its website and made many of its publications accessible electronically. The Institute also continued to develop its website tracking the growing social demand that pension plans invest ethically. This work is reflected in IPP’s newsletter entitled Canada Pension Alert: What Are Your Pension Funds Up To?
The Institute published a 4th edition of its "Cases in Health Care Ethics" in the Fall of 2014. 

Over the year the Institute hosted a number of public presentations, including "Gadamer, Emerson and Philosophy as a Way of Life" by William Konchak from the University of Iceland, "Albert Camus: the Absurd Hero" by VIU professor emeritus Bob Lane, "Our Changing Landscape: Aboriginal Title in British Columbia" by VIU’s Director of the Centre for Pre-Confederation Treaties Doug White and "Big Data and the Surveillance of Everything" by Dr. Nick Richers.