“IN LAW A MAN IS GUILTY WHEN HE VIOLATES THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. IN ETHICS HE IS GUILTY IF HE ONLY THINKS OF DOING SO.” – IMMANUEL KANT

“IN LAW A MAN IS GUILTY WHEN HE VIOLATES THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. IN ETHICS HE IS GUILTY IF HE ONLY THINKS OF DOING SO.” – IMMANUEL KANT

Kant makes a valid point here, one echoed in various religions, including Christianity: that the mere thought of committing an act carries the same consequence as doing so. What would Kant think about the universities in the state of Tennessee?

Even suggesting eliminating the Department of Philosophy has hurt the integrity of the university, not to mention the morale of students and professors in majors at risk of elimination, and those effects are not limited to the philosophy department.

When a university ignores the wishes of students and chooses to eliminate academic programs rather than addressing non-educational spending, that university has done a great disservice to its faculty, student, and alumni. When that university is state-funded, the disservice reaches all taxpayers.

If the people of Tennessee are to be expected to trust MTSU with state funding, then MTSU must act responsibly now and earn that trust. Students will not attend a university whose primary focus, concerning both finances and curricula, is not the continued education of its students.