Earl Spurgin

Background

After earning a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995, Earl Spurgin joined the Department of Philosophy at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. Now Professor of Philosophy, Spurgin specializes in ethics and social and political philosophy, and has served as Director of both the Program in Applied Ethics and the University Core Curriculum. He is author of A Liberal Theory of Practical Morality and numerous journal articles, coauthor of Historical Dictionary of Ethics, and coeditor of Ethics: Contemporary Readings. Before turning to philosophy, Spurgin worked as an accountant. He remains a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) licensed by the Oklahoma Accountancy Board.

Areas of Expertise

• Ethics
  Social and Political Philosophy

Research Interests

Spurgin's research focuses on issues of practical morality. He advocates a type of moral liberalism that he argues is the best approach to addressing moral questions in a plural society. In many of his publications, Spurgin uses his moral liberalism to address questions of practical concern.

Education

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:

• Ph.D. in Philosophy, 1995
• M.A. in Philosophy, 1990

University of Oklahoma:

• M.A. in Philosophy, 1988
• B.A. in Accountancy, 1983

Courses Taught

Publications

Books:

• A Liberal Theory of Practical Morality. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2021.
• Historical Dictionary of Ethics. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2008. (coauthored with Harry J. Gensler)
• Ethics: Contemporary Readings. London: Routledge, 2004. (coedited with Harry J. Gensler and James C. Swindal)

Refereed Journal Articles:

• “The Bad and the Beautiful: Is it Moral to Patronize Immoral Artists’ Works?” Social Theory and Practice 51, no. 4 (October 2025): 667-90.
• “Why the Duty to Self-Censor Requires Social-Media Users to Maintain Their Own Privacy.” Res Publica 25, no. 1 (2019): 1-19.
• “Race and the extra-legal punishment of professional athletes,” Sport in Society 21, no. 12 (2018): 2068-82. (coauthored with Samuel V. Bruton, Donald F. Sacco, and Kori N. Armstrong)
• “Are African American Athletes and Celebrities Obligated Not to Use the N-Word?” Public Affairs Quarterly 32, no. 1 (2018): 21-43.
• “An Emotional-Freedom Defense of Schadenfreude.” Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 18, no. 4 (2015): 767-84.
• “Do Business Leaders Have Role-Model Obligations to be Good Political Actors?” Business and Society Review 120, no. 2 (2015): 277-301.
• “Hey, How did I become a Role Model? Privacy and the Extent of Role-Model Obligations.” Journal of Applied Philosophy 29, no. 2 (2012): 118-32.
• “Can Businesses Be Too Good? Applying Susan Wolf’s ‘Moral Saints’ to Businesses.” Business and Society Review 116, no. 3 (2011): 355-73.
• “Using the Internet Platform ‘Second Life’ to Teach Social Justice.” Teaching Philosophy 34, no. 1 (2011): 17-32. (coauthored with Sharon Kaye)
• “Moral Judgments, Fantasies, and Virtual Worlds.” International Journal of Applied Philosophy 23, no. 2 (2009): 271-84.
• “Free Speech in the Workplace.” Australian Journal of Professional and Applied Ethics 9, no. 1 (2007): 101-13. (coauthored with Rob Macklin)
• “What Was Wrong with Abercrombie & Fitch’s ‘Magalog’?” Business and Society Review 111, no. 4 (2006): 387-408.
• “The End of Romance and the Value of Privacy.” Public Affairs Quarterly 20, no. 3 (2006): 247-65.
• “Occupational Safety and Paternalism: Machan Revisited.” Journal of Business Ethics 63, no. 2 (2006): 155-73.
• “Looking for Answers in All the Wrong Places.” Business Ethics Quarterly 14, no. 2 (2004): 293-313.
• “The Goals and Merits of a Business Ethics Competency Exam.” Journal of Business Ethics 50, no. 3 (2004): 279-88.
• “What’s Wrong with Computer-Generated Images of Perfection in Advertising?” Journal of Business Ethics 45, no. 3 (2003): 257-68.
• “The Problem with ‘Dead Peasants’ Insurance.” Business & Professional Ethics Journal 22, no. 1 (2003): 19-36.
• “Do Shareholders Have Obligations to Stakeholders?” Journal of Business Ethics 33, no. 4 (2001): 287-97.
• “What’s So Special About a Special Ethics for Business?” Journal of Business Ethics 24 no. 4 (2000): 273-81.
• “Hume, Broken Promises, and the Reactions of Promisees.” Southwest Philosophy Review 12, no. 1 (1996): 21-31.

Review Articles in Refereed Journals:

• “Unfettered or Tempered Capitalism? How Best to Promote Virtuous Characters.” Business Ethics Quarterly 17, no. 3 (2007): 573-84. (review of Deirdre N. McCloskey’s The Bourgeois Virtues: Ethics for an Age of Commerce)
• “Review of Alfonso Gómez-Lobo’s Morality and the Human Goods: An Introduction to Natural Law Ethics.” Vera Lex 3, nos. 1-2 (2002): 146-55.

Selections in Books:

• “Should Athletes be Political Role Models? In The Oxford Handbook of Sports Ethics, edited by Sebastian Jon Holmen and Jesper Ryberg. Oxford: Oxford University Press, forthcoming.
• “Are Coaches Obligated to Serve as Good Role Models?” In Philosophy: Sport, edited by R. Scott Kretchmar, 185-202. Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan Reference USA, 2017.
• “The Problem with ‘Dead Peasants’ Insurance.” In Contemporary Issues in Business Ethics, edited by Joseph R. DesJardins and John J. McCall, 5th ed., 213-21. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2005.