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Brian Cantwell Smith

Brian Cantwell Smith appointed Reid Hoffman Chair in Artificial Intelligence and the Human

Published: September 21, 2018

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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

Mark Kingwell

Mark Kingwell named fellow of prestigious Royal Society of Canada

Published: September 12, 2018

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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

Joseph Heath

Joe Heath interviewed on CBC about free speech on campus

Published: August 25, 2017

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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

Zoe Sebastien

What happens to philosophy majors after graduation?

Published: June 29, 2017

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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

robot

Robot-Resitant? Philosophy in the age of AI

Published: May 1, 2017

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“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

A group of students gathered while one student writes in a notebook. .

Developing Essential Skills through Philosophical Study

Published: February 24, 2016

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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