Author: Huenemann

Don’t forget: Carson Bessinger, “Consciousness Enframed: The Alētheia of Qualia,” this Saturday at 4:00 PM at the Accolades at Hamilton’s, 2427 North Main.

Next Thursday (3/29), we will have a brief meeting to talk about hosting an undergraduate philosophy journal, and future events for philosophy club. Then I’ll give a brief talk on Nietzsche, evolution, and culture. Everyone is welcome!

Thursday, 3/29, Main 227
4:00 – philosophy club meeting
4:30 – “Nietzsche, evolution, and culture”

Yes, humans can know reality as it is in itself. And, yes, hell is other people.

Today (Monday, March 19th) there will be two panels by the USU Veterans Representatives regarding the Iraq war. One will feature philosophy major Will Hollaway, along with other students, veterans, protesters, Iraqi students and possibly others at 1 pm. The second is at 6 pm, called “After Iraq: The costs and benefits of nine years in Iraq,” with potential panelists Jeannie L. Johnson (USU political science), Selin Ece Guner (USU political science), Lyle Holmgren (USU extension), Iraqi students, and VA representatives. The events will be held in the TSC Juniper room.

Philosophy major Carson Bessinger will be presenting a public lecture on March 31st. His talk will be about a project for which he was awarded a grant from the Utah Humanities Council. (Way to go, Bessinger!) I will copy below the press release for the event.

Chapter U of the International P.E.O. Sisterhood, an organization that
promotes education for others, has invited Carson Bessinger, a reciver of the Utah
Humanities Council 2011 Undergraduate Student Research Fellowship, to present his
research on the philosophy of consciousness on March 31 at 4:00 PM at the Accolades
at Hamilton’s 2427 North Main Logan, Utah 84341. Bessinger will be presenting his
research from a paper titled: “Consciousness Enframed: The Alētheia of Qualia,” which
he presented at an undergraduate philosophy conference last year.

Bessinger’s research is an examination of the philosopher Daniel Dennett’s claim that
qualia—the subjective experience of our senses—do not exist, that they are an illusion.
That is to say there is no red that we experience when we see an apple, just a
judgment that it is red. Bessinger argues in favor of Dennett’s account while ultimately
criticizing it using the philosophy of Heidegger.

All are welcome to attend this lighthearted presentation of an examination of
consciousness—what it seems to be and what it might actually be.
For more information regarding this event please call Carson Bessinger 435-881-4212.
For more information about the Utah Humanities Council contact Maria Torres at
torres@utahhumanities.org or call 801-359-9670. For more information regarding the
P.E.O. Sisterhood, call 435-752-5438.