Ashland University Professor Plays Major Role in Journal Publication

Dr. Mark Hamilton, associate professor of philosophy at Ashland University, has played a major role in the most recent issue of the Journal of the Philosophy of Sport published by the International Association of Philosophers of Sport.

Published last month, the journal contains a special section -- “Symposium on Officiating and Adjudication in Sport” – that was edited by Hamilton. In addition, Hamilton wrote an article, titled “The Moral Ambiguity of the Makeup Call: Can Two Wrongs Make a Right?” -- for the special section.

In his article, Hamilton asks whether there is moral justification for such a practice.

“This article may not provide one the resolution normally sought, but makes the reader aware of the numerous philosophical enigmas associated with the common sports phenomena known as the makeup call,” he said.

“This is among the most significant scholarship that I’ve produced. And, it was my first venture at editing,” Hamilton said. “This also was the first time the theme of officiating has been tackled by this journal in a more comprehensive way like this.”

As editor the special section, Hamilton wrote a two-page introduction that summarizes the five articles dealing with topic of the Symposium on Officiating and Adjudication in Sport.

The other four articles included in this section are: “On Interpretivism and Formalism in Sports Officiating: From General to Particular Jurisprudence” by University of Texas law professor Mitch Berman; “Categorical Shortcomings: Application, Adjudication, and Contextual Descriptions” by Chad Carlson and John Gleaves; “Limitations of the Sport-Law Comparison” by John Russell; and “Fairness, Epistemology and Rules: A Prolegomenon to a Philosophy of Officiating?” by Graham McFee.

Hamilton said these five writers exchanged semi-final drafts and edited each other’s articles in what was termed as a “virtual symposium.”

Ashland University, ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities category for 2012, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.