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Online philosophy conference

The second online philosophy conference is now available here. You may want to explore it just to see the sorts of things professional philosophers are talking and writing about these days. The keynote address, by Jeff McMahon, is about pacifism and philosophical issues related to war — timely topic! — and is available in a video format.

Summertime musings: Philosophy takes on grilling

The age old debate – charcoal vs gas – takes on a philosophical tone (I am borrowing all concepts from Heidegger’s Question Concerning Technology):
Does charcoal grilling help us “learn to think”, while gas grilling frustrates the true essence of thought?
In other words, does gas grilling necessarily involve technological thinking? Is it guilty of “enframing” and “challenging-forth” the fire, wherein we make “unreasonable demands” on the flame? While charcoal grilling, on the contrary, exemplifies the kind of “listening” and “shepherding of Being” that Heidegger is after?

What’s essential to philosophy?

As the semester comes to an end, you might take a few minutes to ponder this question: what’s essential in a philosophical education? Is it stuff you learn (names, theories, etc), or how to argue, or personal discovery/enrichment? What sort of experience said to you “This is what it’s all about”?

News about students

Here are a few announcements about achievements by our students. (I’m sure I’m missing things, so please send me a note or post a comment!)

• Andrew Blackwell has been awarded the Brett E. Blanch Memorial Scholarship for Philosophy.

• Benny Nyikos successfully presented his honors thesis, “Holding onto Belief,” at the USU Undergraduate Research Symposium.

• Doug Beazer, Brian Morrison, and Joshua Smith were initiated into Phi Sigma Tau, Philosophy’s honor society.

• Chris Healey has been accepted into medical school at Ohio State (he’s waiting to hear from a couple of other schools).

CONGRATULATIONS!