Author: Huenemann

CORRECTION: Turns out we’re able to switch 2200 and 4300 so that the original flyer and online postings for Spring 2017 are correct. The few students who are already enrolled will be contacted.

The flyer we’ve circulated and posted advertising the philosophy classes to be offered in the spring wrongly switches the times of two classes: PHIL 2200 (Logic) will meet T/Th 12:00-1:15, and PHIL 4300 (Epistemology) will meet T/Th 3:00-4:15. Unfortunately, this means students will have to choose between taking Justin Clark’s Virtue Ethics seminar, and taking Huenemann’s Epistemology. If you’re caught in the conflict, talk with one of the professors – they may be able to offer some helpful advice.

Next Tuesday, at 7 p.m., in Main 119, we will be viewing the film Ex Machina (rated R). It’s about artificial intelligence, and the Turing test (figuring out if a machine is conscious by having a conversation with it). It’s an amazing film, with intelligence, love, trust, suspicion, betrayal, and some violence. All are welcome to see the film and join in discussion afterward!

We heard about the ontology of sandwiches, Kazimierz Dąbrowski, the history of philosophy through trolley-car problems, nuclear weapon proliferation, and a shortcoming in the ontological argument. Thanks to all who presented and attended!

Fun was had by all. We need to do this monthly.

I warmly recommend the site Daily Nous (clever name, too!). It features a lot of “inside the philosophy profession” stuff that is less interesting, but also a lot of fun items: cartoons, interviews, popular essays, and so on. They also have a page documenting how philosophy majors perform on standardized tests, as well as mid-career earnings. I knew phil majors did well on these things, but the results are even better than I thought – check them out.

It’s probably not fair for philosophy, as an undergraduate major, to take full credit for these successes. Philosophy deals with abstract, tricky problems and questions, and chances are that anyone interested in these things will do well on standardized tests, whatever the end up majoring in. But I do think it’s true that whatever level of relevant ability you have when you start out in a philosophy program, the program will elevate that ability considerably (and maybe even more so than many other majors). In short, studying philosophy makes bright people brighter. It would be nice to say it makes them wiser, happier, and more moral as well – but does it? There’s an interesting discussion to have!

Tomorrow (Tuesday) will abound in philosophical events. Everyone is welcome!

At 3:oo p.m., in Huntsman Hall 122, we will have the “Superhero Symposium“. Join in a discussion of the cultural and philosophical dimensions of leaping buildings in a single bound!

At 7:00 p.m., in Main 119, we will have “Flash! Philosophy“. Students will offer brief presentations of captivating and perhaps quirky ideas so that we can all delight in the fun of discussing them. I’m not exactly sure what’s coming, but I’ve heard talk of several ideas, including the ontology of sandwiches. (Speaking of which….)