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Stephen Kershnar | |
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| Born | 1966 (age 59–60) |
| Education | Cornell University (BA) University of Pennsylvania Law School (JD) University of Nebraska–Lincoln (PhD) |
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Stephen Kershnar (born 1966) is an American philosopher, a philosophy professor at theState University of New York at Fredonia (SUNY), and an attorney.
His research and works focus on applied ethics and political philosophy. Kershnar has written one hundred articles and book chapters on topics including abortion, adult–child sex, hell, most valuable player, pornography, punishment, sexual fantasies, slavery, and torture. He is the author of ten books, includingDesert Collapses: Why No One Deserves Anything (2021),Total Collapse: The Case Against Morality and Responsibility (2018), andAbortion, Hell, and Shooting Abortion-Doctors: Does the Pro-Life Worldview Make Sense? (2017).[1]
In 2022, Kershnar discussed his views and a book (published 2015) which question the immorality of "adult–child sex." His comments and the subsequent backlash led to the university barring him from campus pending an investigation, and him suing the university.
Kershnar completed his BA atCornell University (1988),JD atPenn Law (1991), and PhD at theUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln (1995).[2][3] In 2006, Kershnar was initially denied promotion to full professor, after he had criticized SUNY Fredonia's new policy regarding "student conduct policies and affirmative action practices".[4][5][better source needed] Thereafter, Kershnar was awarded tenure at SUNY Fredonia.
In early 2022, his arguments on "adult–child sex" in a philosophy podcast attracted criticism and led to him being barred from campus and teaching, pending an investigation.[6][7] Kershnar has received support for hisacademic freedom in connection with this controversy from both theAcademic Freedom Alliance[8] and from FIRE (theFoundation for Individual Rights in Education).[9] In June 2023, Kershnar filed a lawsuit against the Fredonia administration claiming violation of hisFirst Amendment rights.[10][11] An updated related news report about the incident and ongoing investigation was published inThe New York Times on September 13, 2023.[12] According toThe New York Times, his comments occurred "as part of a wide-ranging thought experiment about ethics and consent", and he has stated that "adult–child sex" should be criminalized.[12]
Kershnar is recipient of variousfaculty awards, most notably:
As of February 2022, Kershnar has published 12 books:[17]
