Dr. Mark Vopat

Professor
Dr. Mark Vopat - profile photo

Dr. Mark Vopat

Professor

Humanities & Social Sciences

DeBartolo Hall 402

phone: (330) 941-3362

mvopat@ysu.edu

people.ysu.edu/~markvopat

Bio

Dr. Mark Vopat is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Dr. James Dale Ethics Center at Youngstown State University. His research interests include social and political philosophy, ethics, and applied ethics with particular emphasis on children’s rights. He has written and presented papers in a variety of areas of applied ethics including: business ethics, professional ethics, the ethics of boycotting, moral sensitivity and the intersection of libertarianism and Christianity. In 2015 he published a book Children's Right and Moral Parenting with Lexington Press. Dr. Vopat received his doctorate from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario Canada.

Research Interests

Children's Rights
Social and Political Philosophy
Intersection of religion and social and political thought
Business Ethics
AI and Ethics

Teaching Interests

Social and Political Philosophy
Ethics
Children's Rights
Applied Ethics

  • Education
    • 2003

      Ph D, Philosophy

      The University of Western Ontario

      Dissertation/Thesis Title — "A Contractarian Approach to Children's Rights"

    • 1996

      MA, Philosophy

      Cleveland State University

    • 1994

      BA, Philosophy

      Cleveland State University

  • Awards and Honors
    • 2024

      Youngstown State University

      Distinguished Scholarship Award

    • 2023

      Youngstown State University

      Distinguished Service Award

  • Intellectual Contributions
    • 2022

      "AI and Human Rights: Present and Future Moral Challenges"

      M. Vopat

    • 2022

      "Review of Meira Levinson and Jacob Fay (Eds.), Democratic Discord in Schools"

      M. Vopat

      Journal of Moral Philosophy, volume 19, issue 4

    • 2021

      "The Belief in Innate Talent and Its Implications for Distributive Justice"

      M. Vopat

      Educational Philosophy and Theory, volume 53

    • 2020

      "Boycotts and Silencing: A Response to Jeremy V. Davis (2020), ‘Expressive Acts, and Withdrawal of Support"

      M. Vopat, A. Tomhave

      Business Ethics Journal Review, volume 8, issue 3, p. 14-19

    • 2020

      "Ethics of Boycotts"

      M. Vopat, A. Tomhave

      Springer International Publishing, p. 1-3

    • 2020

      "Business of Boycotting"

      M. Vopat, A. Tomhave

      Springer International Publishing, p. 1-3

    • 2020

      "Boycotts and Silencing"

      A. Tomhave, M. Vopat

    • 2020

      "Boycotting as a Social Movement"

      M. Vopat, A. Tomhave

      Springer International Publishing, p. 1-3

    • 2018

      "Business Ethics: The Big Picture"

      A. Tomhave, M. Vopat

      Broadview Press

    • 2018

      "The Role of Teaching Ethics in Teaching Ethics Across the Curriculum"

      A. Tomhave, M. Vopat

      Springer International Publishing, p. 107-114

    • 2018

      "The Role of Teaching Ethics in Teaching Ethics Across the Curriculum"

      M. Vopat, A. Tomhave

    • 2016

      "The Business of Boycotting: Having Your Chicken and Eating It Too"

      A. Tomhave, M. Vopat

      Journal of Business Ethics

    • 2013

      "Is a Christian-Libertarian an Oxymoron"

      M. Vopat

      Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society, volume 2, issue 2

    • 2013

      "On the Disconnect Between Business and Professional Ethics"

      M. Vopat, A. Tomhave

      Teaching Ethics, volume 13, issue 2, p. 93–105

    • 2013

      "Child Abuse and Neglect"

      M. Vopat

    • 2011

      "Magnet Schools, Innate Talent and Social Justice"

      M. Vopat

      Theory and Research in Education, volume 9, issue 1

    • 2010

      "School Uniforms and Freedom of Expression"

      M. Vopat

      Ethics and Education, volume 5, issue 3

    • 2009

      "Justice, Religion and the Education of Children."

      M. Vopat

      Public Affairs Quarterly, volume 23, issue 3

    • 2009

      "Review of Josephine Russell's How Children Become Moral Selves,"

      M. Vopat

      Philosophy in Review, volume 29, issue 3

    • 2009

      "Review of John Brenkman, The Cultural Contradictions of Democracy: Political Thought Since September 11."

      M. Vopat

      Philosophy in Review, volume 29, issue 1

    • 2007

      "Review of Element of Justice by David Schmidtz"

      M. Vopat

      Philosophy in Review, volume 27, issue 4

    • 2007

      "Parent Licensing and Child Protection"

      M. Vopat

    • 2007

      "Review of The War For Children’s Minds"

      M. Vopat

      Philosophy in Review, volume 27, issue 4

    • 2005

      "Review of The Sacred Monstrous: A reflection on violence in human communities, by Wendy C. Hamblet"

      M. Vopat

      Philosophy in Review, volume 25, issue 3

    • 2003

      "Contractarianism and Children"

      M. Vopat

      Public Affairs Quarterly, volume 17, issue 1

    • 2000

      "Review of Deep Democracy,"

      M. Vopat

      Philosophy in Review, volume 20, issue 5

  • Professional Service
    • 2020 - 2020

      Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer
      External Reviewer: SUNY Brockport Philosophy Program

    • 2020 - 2021

      Reviewer, Journal Article
      Journal of Applied Philosophy

    • 2015 - 2018

      Editor, Journal Editor
      Teaching Ethics

  • Public Service
    • Unknown

      Organizer
      Continuing Legal Education Workship

    • Unknown

      Organizer
      Ethics for Debaters Summer Workshop