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Professor Part of Discussion on Issues of Morality in Melville's "Billy Budd"

Posted on Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Dr. Matthew Sivils, Westminster College assistant professor of English, is part of a three-person panel that will discuss the moral issues posed by Herman Melville's "Billy Budd" Monday, April 30, at 5 p.m. at the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, 437 Grant St., Pittsburgh.

Sivils, who will present "The Leader's Moral Quandary - Understanding Captain Vere," joins The Honorable Judge Joseph James, president judge of Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas speaking on "The Notion of Justice in Time of War;" and Joseph Mistick, a law professor at Duquesne University, who will present "The Facts of the Case." The moderator is Mark Weinstein, general director of Pittsburgh Opera and member of Westminster College's Board of Trustees.

"Billy Budd" centers around Budd, a sailor who is accused of killing a superior officer and Vere, the ship's captain, who must decided Budd's fate. The panel discussion is meant to answer questions such as: What rights would Billy have today? What laws would apply and would the outcome be different? When is it appropriate to sacrifice the good of the individual for society's greater good? How do leaders justify breaking the law in wartime? How is this happening today?

Sivils, who has been with Westminster College since 2006, earned his undergraduate degree from Arkansas Tech University and his master's and Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. For more information about his presentation, call (724) 946-7350 or e-mail sivilsmw@westminster.edu.

The event is sponsored by Pittsburgh Opera and is free and open to the public. However, reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling (412) 281-0912.

Dr. Matthew Sivils