UTSC Department of Philosophy

UTSC Philosophy Undergrads Comment at U of T Graduate Conference

Our own Heather Hutchinson, David Balcarras, and Mike Derewonko are commenting at the downtown Graduate Department of Philosophy's international graduate student conference, on 30 and 31 March 2012. This is a really excellent opportunity for Heather, David, and Mike. Break a leg guys!

5th Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference a Success

The Association of Philosophy Students hosted its 5th Annual Undergraduate Conference on Saturday, 10 March 2012, at UTSC, in a handsome MW lecture theater. Over the last four years the conference has grown to an international event, involving students from as far away as Stanford and throughout the GTA. This year's conference featured paper presentations by undergraduate students from Harvard, Oxford, Reed College (a leading liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon), and Western Ontario. UTSC students and alumni commented: Katie Fewster-Yan, Heather Hutchinson, Robin Foreman, and David Balcarras.

The papers addressed a diverse set of issues: is there a moral dimension to epistemology? Is what I meant fixed by the time I finish saying it? Do some metaphors require a certain perceptual sort of understanding? What does it take to think of a cow?

The keynote address was delivered by UTM's Professor Andrew Sepielli. Professor Sepielli spoke on whether to change your mind if you learn that your friend disagrees with you. Professor Sepielli stepped in to replace Professor Ruth Chang of Rutgers when she was tied down in New York at the last minute. Thanks very much, Andrew!

All agreed that this year's conference was the most spirited and intellectually engaged yet, and the department is confident that the APS will continue to build on this success. Details are on the APS web page.

Bringing Reason to Life

Thursday 20 Oct saw the first event in our series on Bringing Reason to Life, an initiative to bring to campus philosophers from outside of our university to debate our own, associated with our PHLA10, Reason and Truth. Michael Bergmann from Perdue debated our Ronnie DeSouza on the rationality of religious belief. Stay tuned for more from this fantastic series!

Noumena

The main event at the launch party was a debate on the Meaning of Life. The debaters were our own Benj Hellie, Herbert Kronzucker of the Biology Department, and Andrew Sepielli of UTM Philosophy. 

The debate was won by the local hero, of course. Actually, everyone there was a winner: our panelists (and the audience in the q&a period) said a great deal of interest about this perpetual topic. We are very grateful to Professor Kronzucker and Professor Sepielli for crossing conceptual space and the GTA, respectively, for this debate.

Copies of Noumena are available from the APS: contact them if you want to read some of the best work being done by undergraduate students in philosophy internationally, including papers by some of UTSC's own.

Into year two

The shiny new UTSC Philosophy Department prepares to enter its second year. We anticipate a move some time in the spring semester to new offices in 'Philosophy Hall' (first that portable's current inhabitants must move to their new space; then we need to kit it out with walnut paneling, brass fixtures, and green kid leather surfaces). 

In year two we also roll out several new courses. As part of our process of rationalizing the concentrator programs in response to your suggestions, we introduce: a 'proseminar' at the C level for third year philosophy concentrators; a 'writing philosophy' course at the B level for second year students; a number of advanced seminars at the D level. And by popular demand we will begin teaching a B-level course in existentialism. 

We will also continue our search for two new profs: an ethicist and a political philosopher; that will be the first of several growth hires enabling us to round out our areas of expertise. 

We remain interested in your opinions. What do you want out of your philosophical education at UTSC? Perhaps you have taken a lot of courses and have suggestions for what would make for an optimal intensive philosophy experience for future students; perhaps you have taken no courses and are looking for something in particular from your first philosophy class; perhaps something in between. Either way, please share your views. How are we doing?

Contact us with your input.

Association of Philosophy Students regroups, reorganizes, rebrands

The UTSC Association of Philosophy Students is completing the process of attaining recognition as the department's affiliate Departmental Students Association. 

Over the summer the APS has developed a web site to envy. It has also overhauled its bylaws, drawing up a constitution to envy. The department is extremely appreciative of the first-rate product of APS President Heather Hutchinson and the other members of the APS Executive Committee. We look forward to a comfortable and productive working relationship, and are optimistic that the APS will soon be granted the rights of a DSA.

Students interested in philosophy will benefit greatly from establishing contact with the APS.

Undergrad Philosophy Conference a success

Saturday 19 March the UTSC Association of Philosophy Students hosted its Fourth Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference. 

Speakers this year were from Queen's University, University of Virginia, Carleton University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, and U of T: in each case a UTSC student delivered (incisive, profound, thorough) commentary on the talk.

This year's keynote speaker was Jason Stanley, Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University. Professor Stanley delivered a spirited talk on 'Ways of thinking'.

Roughly three dozen people were in attendance throughout the Saturday meeting.