An international ethics hub in the most tranquil 520 acres in the U.S.
The Prindle Institute for Ethics is nestled in the heart of DePauw’s 520-acre Nature Park. Its Bartlett Reflection Center, connected by a series of streams and waterfalls, is a complementary space for meditation and contemplation; and its Wood Library includes more than 1,500 books and publications on ethics.
“The Prindle” is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays noon to 9 p.m. while DePauw is in session. Its auditorium and conference rooms are available to all ethics-related programming including retreats, lectures, presentations, and small-group discussions. It features an auditorium that seats 113; a great room for 96 people, with conference rooms on both sides that each seat 20; a classroom that seats 25; and a library. Licensed catering companies may use the commercial kitchen.
The Institute was Indiana’s first Gold-rated building certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified facilities minimize impact on the Nature Park and feature a configuration around a landscaped courtyard that decreases energy use. Locally-quarried limestone and regionally-harvested woods provide color and texture that meet the rigorous standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.
The Prindle offers ethics reading courses, ethics scholarships and research assistantships. Through The Prindle Post, it engages scholars from across the world — from Australia to Canada and back — as news analysts. The Post is the Institute’s online source for pieces that examine and explain the ethical dimensions of current events and culture. The articles have very little jargon and are written for high schoolers, college students and life-long learners.
Its “Examining Ethics” podcasts provide answers to ethical dilemmas, leaving listeners with tools and ideas from the biggest names in moral philosophy and ethics. Listen to the show on Apple podcasts, or head over to the podcast’s home page.
The Prindle also is home to two international forums focused on ethics, including the well-known philosophy blog PEA (Philosophy, Ethics, Academia) Soup, a forum for philosophers to discuss philosophy, ethics and academics. Scholars from across the globe use the blog to explore research ideas and teaching practices.
The Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, a strategic partnership to engage the nation on the critical issues of our time, also makes its home here. APPE is an international, multidisciplinary membership association of professionals focused on the practical application of ethics in the classroom, the workplace, government, and local communities. It’s dedicated to advancing practical ethics scholarship, stimulating new research and promoting innovative teaching.
In addition, the Institute hosts the Young Philosophers Lecture Series in which four early-career philosophers explore everything from the ethics of worrying about nuclear war to what makes a good life. It also supports visiting scholars, for one- to three-year appointments, who teach at DePauw, organize dynamic research retreats, conduct original research, and more.