Published: March 5, 2019
Posted In: Faculty, General, In the News, St. George
What does it mean to play a game — and why does it matter? Entering into dialogue with both Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) and the more contemporary philosopher Bernard Suits (1925–2007), Thomas Hurka explores the possibilities in a few lusory paragraphs in “From Golf to Grand Theft Auto, Why Do We … Read More
Published: November 16, 2018
Posted In: Alumni, Announcements, Faculty, General, In the News
Professor Vincent Shen, a globally respected philosopher and popular teacher, died peacefully on November 14, 2018 surrounded by his family. Appointed to both the Department of East Asian Studies and the Department of Philosophy at U of T, Shen was a prolific scholar whose vast and diverse body of work … Read More
Published: September 21, 2018
Posted In: Announcements, Faculty, General, In the News, St. George
Everyone is thinking about artificial intelligence lately—from U of T computer scientist Raquel Urtasun who recently joined Uber’s research team to the establishment of the Vector Institute, an elite Toronto-based applied research outfit, and even to our own philosopher Mark Kingwell, who has recently spoken on the ethics of AI. Now, another … Read More
Published: September 12, 2018
Posted In: Alumni, Announcements, Awards and Honours, Faculty, General, In the News, St. George
Congratulations are in order for Professor Mark Kingwell, who joins 10 other U of T scholars in being named a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a prestigious body that recognizes outstanding scholarly, scientific, and artistic achievement. The honour is considered one of the country’s foremost scholarly accomplishments. Moreover, Professor … Read More
Published: August 23, 2018
Posted In: Alumni, Announcements, General, In the News
Italian-Canadian auto industry pioneer Sergio Marchionne, who died on July 25, 2018 from complications after shoulder surgery, had a history as a philosopher in our department and hailed the eye-opening aspects of philosophical studies. Mr. Marchionne was born in Italy in 1952 and moved to Toronto in 1966. He was … Read More
Published: January 18, 2018
Posted In: Alumni, Faculty, General, In the News, St. George
The article below appeared in U of T News on Jan. 12, 2018, and features commentary from Prof. Mark Kingwell on the ethics and social implications of artificial intelligence, in advance of his Jan. 22 talk in London, titled “Humans and Artificial Intelligence – What Happens Next?” It’s time to talk about … Read More
Published: November 1, 2017
Posted In: General, In the News, Undergraduate, UTM
Robina Aryubwal, who left Afghanistan with her family after being threatened by a warlord, studies philosophy, political science and French at U of T Mississauga. Her family’s move from Afghanistan is detailed in a new book by CBC journalist Carol Off, All We Leave Behind, a finalist for the Governor General’s … Read More
Published: August 25, 2017
Posted In: Faculty, In the News, St. George, Video and Audio
Our very own Professor Joseph Heath, whose specializations are in social and political philosophy, moral philosophy, and distributive justice, was interviewed on the CBC’s The 180 with host Jim Brown about free speech on campus, particularly at institutions across North America. Prof. Heath discussed the concept of free speech, a topic that has been hotly debated … Read More
Published: June 29, 2017
Posted In: Graduate, In the News, Undergraduate
The Washington Post recently featured an excellent article on the merits of studying philosophy, dispelling common myths about the discipline, and providing concrete examples of some of the many career trajectories available to graduates. “For philosophy majors, the question after graduation is: What next?” explores the critical thinking, cogent writing, and precise … Read More
Published: May 1, 2017
Posted In: General, In the News
“If self-made billionaire Mark Cuban was starting college right now, he’d choose philosophy as his major over accounting,” writes CNBC in a story about the merits of a philosophical education in an age when automation is increasingly taking over the workplace. The thinking is that jobs that require strong cognitive … Read More
Published: April 12, 2017
Posted In: Announcements, Awards and Honours, Faculty, In the News, St. George
L: Cheryl Misak, R: Margaret Morrison The Department of Philosophy of the University of Toronto is proud to announce that two faculty members have won prestigious Guggenheim Fellowships in 2017 – of the 173 fellowships awarded for the United States and Canada this year. Cheryl Misak was awarded a fellowship … Read More
Published: February 24, 2016
Posted In: In the News, Undergraduate, UTSC
From a recent article in the Toronto Star: “Executives in 20 recent employer surveys said they look to hire people with so-called “soft” or “essential skills” — communicating, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork — “yet this is where they see students being deficient,” said Harvey Weingarten, president of Ontario’s higher education … Read More
