I am very sorry to relay that philosophy major Micah Morris, who graduated this past spring, was killed in a motorcycle accident last weekend. Micah had taken a break from his degree to become certified as a mortician, and then returned to his philosophy classes armed with a kind of specialized knowledge and humane temperament that made him a wonderful partner in conversations. His funeral will be in Provo on Friday morning; there will follow a graveside service Friday afternoon in Samaria, Idaho. Please send me a note if you would like details.
Welcome back!
Welcome back to school! The Philosophy Club will join in the college’s “Light on the Hill” ceremony on the evening of August 26th, 7:30 p.m. Look for us on the hill above the old amphitheater. Anyone who wants to help set up our booth should arrive around 7.
Cool Leibniz material
Check out Stephen Wolfram’s blog, which has a post documenting his fascination for Leibniz. It includes many photographs of Leibniz’s notes and diagrams, and the mechanical calculator Leibniz designed – very interesting!
2013 Phi Sigma Tau induction
Six new members were inducted into the Utah Gamma chapter of Phi Sigma Tau, the national honor society of undergraduate philosophy. Congratulations and welcome to Emily Cannon, Evan Cummings, Ben Harman, Cameron Hunter, Erika Lamborn, and Jess Van Natter.
What do philosophers believe?
(H/T Rob Sica.) The organizers of Philpapers conducted a fairly extensive survey to determine what most professional philosophers believe about a range of issues. See their results and methods here. Some interesting results:
1. A priori knowledge: yes 71.1%; no 18.4%; other 10.5%.
2. Abstract objects: Platonism 39.3%; nominalism 37.7%; other 23.0%.
3. Aesthetic value: objective 41.0%; subjective 34.5%; other 24.5%.
4. Analytic-synthetic distinction: yes 64.9%; no 27.1%; other 8.1%.
5. Epistemic justification: externalism 42.7%; internalism 26.4%; other 30.8%.
6. External world: non-skeptical realism 81.6%; skepticism 4.8%; idealism 4.3%; other 9.2%.
7. Free will: compatibilism 59.1%; libertarianism 13.7%; no free will 12.2%; other 14.9%.
8. God: atheism 72.8%; theism 14.6%; other 12.6%.
[…]
28. Trolley problem: switch 68.2%; don’t switch 7.6%; other 24.2%.
29. Truth: correspondence 50.8%; deflationary 24.8%; epistemic 6.9%; other 17.5%.
30. Zombies: conceivable but not metaphysically possible 35.6%; metaphysically possible 23.3%; inconceivable 16.0%; other 25.1%
USUPhilosophy 