UTSC Department of Philosophy

5th Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference

Want a taste of life as a researcher in philosophy? Have a paper you would like to present in a conference? Interested in networking with philosophy students from our school and internationally? Want to get involved with the conference -- read and evaluate papers, comment, help run things? Is one of your friends interested in this sort of thing? The Association of Philosophy Students has sent out its 'call for papers' for its 5th Annual Undergraduate Conference: details here.

The conference is scheduled for Saturday, 10 March 2012, at UTSC. 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 will feature four international undergraduate students presenting papers and four local students commenting (read: pulverizing).

The keynote speaker for 2012 will be the internationally-renowned ethicist Ruth Chang. Professor Chang works at Rutgers, one of the top three philosophy departments internationally (and is the advisor of UTM Philosophy's Andrew Sepielli). 

Contribute, comment, get involved, be there: 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.