Philosophy Department Colloquium “Regarding the Moral Community”
Alexa Forrester Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
Date: Monday, March 21,2011
Time: 2:00-3:30pm
Place: Fresno State
Professional & Human Services Bldg. (PHS) room 154
For more information contact Dr. Terry Winant, 559 278-2621
Showing posts with label Philoshopy Lectures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philoshopy Lectures. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
“Neuroscience and the problem of other animal minds: Why it may not matter so much for bioethics”
Philosophy Department Colloquium
“Neuroscience and the problem of other animal minds: Why it may not matter so much for bioethics”
Andrew Fenton, Department of Novel Tech Ethics, Dalhousie University
Date: Thursday, March 17,2011
Time: 3:30-5:00pm
Place: California State University, Fresno
Speech Arts Bldg. room 154
A recent argument in the neuroethics literature has suggested that (i) the discovery of brain-mental-state identities could settle epistemological uncertainties about animal minds and (ii) dismantle the deadlock over their moral status. I will argue that (i) does not so much help us resolve the problem of other animal minds as mark its resolution. (ii) is grounded in a naive view of how our views of animals as subjects impact our moral relations with them. Focusing on animal research, I will argue that what is required is a sea change in the perceived grounds for human moral obligations to nonhumans.
For more information contact Dr. Terry Winant, 559 278-2621
“Neuroscience and the problem of other animal minds: Why it may not matter so much for bioethics”
Andrew Fenton, Department of Novel Tech Ethics, Dalhousie University
Date: Thursday, March 17,2011
Time: 3:30-5:00pm
Place: California State University, Fresno
Speech Arts Bldg. room 154
A recent argument in the neuroethics literature has suggested that (i) the discovery of brain-mental-state identities could settle epistemological uncertainties about animal minds and (ii) dismantle the deadlock over their moral status. I will argue that (i) does not so much help us resolve the problem of other animal minds as mark its resolution. (ii) is grounded in a naive view of how our views of animals as subjects impact our moral relations with them. Focusing on animal research, I will argue that what is required is a sea change in the perceived grounds for human moral obligations to nonhumans.
For more information contact Dr. Terry Winant, 559 278-2621
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Ethics and the Brain
An Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion
Paul Crosbie, Biology
Chris Golston, Linguistics
Janet Slagter, Women’s Studies
Leonard Olson, Philosophy
Date: April 27,2010
Time: 5-7 PM
Place: Fresno State Alice Peters Auditorium
This panel of faculty experts will discuss ethical issues arising from our
growing understanding of the human brain. Topics will include psychoactive
drugs, behavior therapy, brain mapping, cognitive therapies, personal
responsibility, identity, evolution, and free will.
Sponsored by The Ethics Center at Fresno State
Contact Andrew Fiala: afiala@csufresno.edu or Ethics Center's website: http://www.csufresno.edu/ethicscenter
Paul Crosbie, Biology
Chris Golston, Linguistics
Janet Slagter, Women’s Studies
Leonard Olson, Philosophy
Date: April 27,2010
Time: 5-7 PM
Place: Fresno State Alice Peters Auditorium
This panel of faculty experts will discuss ethical issues arising from our
growing understanding of the human brain. Topics will include psychoactive
drugs, behavior therapy, brain mapping, cognitive therapies, personal
responsibility, identity, evolution, and free will.
Sponsored by The Ethics Center at Fresno State
Contact Andrew Fiala: afiala@csufresno.edu or Ethics Center's website: http://www.csufresno.edu/ethicscenter
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Good Enough
The Ethics Center Leon S. Peters Ethics Lecture
Good Enough: Why is the “good enough” not good enough? by John Lachs
Date: February 11, 2010
Time: 5-6 PM
Place: Alice Peters Auditorium
Lecture is Free and Open to the Public
Relaxed parking in the UBC parking lot only
Philosopher John Lachs reflects on our desire for perfection, which he connects with the longing for God and the experience of beauty. Suggesting that the ideal of moral perfection can be inhumane, Lachs concludes, “the fact that the world could be better does not imply that we are obliged to make it better.”
John Lachs is Centennial Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of many books and articles, including most recently The Cost of Comfort (2010). He is the editor of the Encyclopedia of American Philosophy. This presentation is based on his article, “Good Enough” in the Journal of Speculative Philosophy.
Sponsored by The Ethics Center at Fresno State, the Leon S. Peters Foundation, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and an IRA Grant
Contact Andrew Fiala: afiala@csufresno.edu or Ethics Center's website: http://www.csufresno.edu/ethicscenter
Good Enough: Why is the “good enough” not good enough? by John Lachs
Date: February 11, 2010
Time: 5-6 PM
Place: Alice Peters Auditorium
Lecture is Free and Open to the Public
Relaxed parking in the UBC parking lot only
Philosopher John Lachs reflects on our desire for perfection, which he connects with the longing for God and the experience of beauty. Suggesting that the ideal of moral perfection can be inhumane, Lachs concludes, “the fact that the world could be better does not imply that we are obliged to make it better.”
John Lachs is Centennial Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of many books and articles, including most recently The Cost of Comfort (2010). He is the editor of the Encyclopedia of American Philosophy. This presentation is based on his article, “Good Enough” in the Journal of Speculative Philosophy.
Sponsored by The Ethics Center at Fresno State, the Leon S. Peters Foundation, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and an IRA Grant
Contact Andrew Fiala: afiala@csufresno.edu or Ethics Center's website: http://www.csufresno.edu/ethicscenter
Saturday, November 7, 2009
“Reflections on God's Nature: Matter and Time”
Philosophy Department Colloquium
“Reflections on God's Nature: Matter and Time”
Wendell Stephenson
Date: Thursday, November 12
Time: 3:30-4:45pm
Place: Music Bldg. room 160
Dr. Wendell Stephenson will raise questions concerning the immateriality and timelessness of God, especially the timelessness of God as conceived by the contemporary philosopher, Hugh McCann.
Dr. Stephenson has been a Philosophy Instructor at Fresno City College since 1999. He has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from UC Santa Barbara.
Sponsored by the Philosophy Department at Fresno State
For more information contact the Department Chair, Andrew Fiala: afiala@csufresno.edu
“Reflections on God's Nature: Matter and Time”
Wendell Stephenson
Date: Thursday, November 12
Time: 3:30-4:45pm
Place: Music Bldg. room 160
Dr. Wendell Stephenson will raise questions concerning the immateriality and timelessness of God, especially the timelessness of God as conceived by the contemporary philosopher, Hugh McCann.
Dr. Stephenson has been a Philosophy Instructor at Fresno City College since 1999. He has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from UC Santa Barbara.
Sponsored by the Philosophy Department at Fresno State
For more information contact the Department Chair, Andrew Fiala: afiala@csufresno.edu
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Ethics of Reading the Bible
Fall 2009 Ethics Center Lecture Series
Date: December 2, 2009
Time: 7 PM - 8 PM
Place: Alice Peters Auditorium, University Business Center
Robert Maldonado, The Ethics of Reading the Bible
Robert Maldonado will explore the layers of meaning found in ancient scriptures. He will raise questions about the significance of religious texts and the value we place upon them. His theme is how the way we read influences the value we get out of our texts.
Robert Maldonado has a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union. He is the former Chair of the Philosophy Department at Fresno State, an expert on the Gospel of Mark, and a serious origamist.
Sponsored by The Ethics Center at Fresno State
For more information contact Andrew Fiala: afiala@csufresno.edu
Or check the Ethics Center's website: http://www.csufresno.edu/ethicscenter
Date: December 2, 2009
Time: 7 PM - 8 PM
Place: Alice Peters Auditorium, University Business Center
Robert Maldonado, The Ethics of Reading the Bible
Robert Maldonado will explore the layers of meaning found in ancient scriptures. He will raise questions about the significance of religious texts and the value we place upon them. His theme is how the way we read influences the value we get out of our texts.
Robert Maldonado has a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union. He is the former Chair of the Philosophy Department at Fresno State, an expert on the Gospel of Mark, and a serious origamist.
Sponsored by The Ethics Center at Fresno State
For more information contact Andrew Fiala: afiala@csufresno.edu
Or check the Ethics Center's website: http://www.csufresno.edu/ethicscenter
Monday, March 2, 2009
LEONARD OLSON: GOD, DARWIN, AND THE CULTURE WARS
Ethics Center Lecture
Leonard Olson: God, Darwin, and the Culture Wars
Most observers would agree that there is something like a cultural war taking place in America today, especially over the question of the origins of life on Earth. Is the choice as simple as one between evolution or creation? Extremists on both sides frame the issue poorly. As a result, a reasonable middle position is ignored. This talk will examine the middle and criticize the extremes.
Leonard Olson is a Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at California State University, Fresno, where he has been teaching ethics courses since 1986. A native of the Central Valley, he was educated at San Francisco State and U. C. Davis.
Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Time: 12-12:50 P.M.
Place: Alice Peters Auditorium in the University Business Center
Cost: Free and Open to the Public
Ruth Aparicio
Department of Philosophy
559-278-2621
559-278-6484 (fax)
Leonard Olson: God, Darwin, and the Culture Wars
Most observers would agree that there is something like a cultural war taking place in America today, especially over the question of the origins of life on Earth. Is the choice as simple as one between evolution or creation? Extremists on both sides frame the issue poorly. As a result, a reasonable middle position is ignored. This talk will examine the middle and criticize the extremes.
Leonard Olson is a Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at California State University, Fresno, where he has been teaching ethics courses since 1986. A native of the Central Valley, he was educated at San Francisco State and U. C. Davis.
Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Time: 12-12:50 P.M.
Place: Alice Peters Auditorium in the University Business Center
Cost: Free and Open to the Public
Ruth Aparicio
Department of Philosophy
559-278-2621
559-278-6484 (fax)
Friday, February 6, 2009
"PLATO'S POLITICAL PESSIMISM: WHY THE IRONIC INTERPRETATION OF THE REPUBLIC ISN'T AS CRAZY AS IT SEEMS".
Date: Monday, February 9, 2009
Time: 5:00 - 6:00pm
Place: Speech Arts, Room 151
Mark Ralkowski, Ph.D.
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Abstract: There are several obstacles -- what I call the ontological, epistemological, moral, and political problems -- blocking the standard interpretation of the Republic as a work of utopianism. The first three of these problems are sufficient to show that the ideal state cannot come into existence, and the fourth informs us that an approximation of it is improbable and extremely undesirable. To make this last point, I describe the philosophic nature, explain how it is corrupted, and argue, on the basis of historical evidence and textual evidence from Plato's Republic, that this account applies to Alcibiades. Then I show that the Republic makes three references to Alcibiades, and that the second and third of these links the Republic with the conclusion of the Symposium, where Plato presents what one scholar describes as "the most indelible portrait of Alcibiades from antiquity." This portrait of Alcibiades gives us the best evidence that Plato thought of Alcibiades as a potential philosopher. In his speech, he is portrayed as possessing a significant degree of philosophical insight, despite being ruined by moral weakness. Once we link the Republic and the Symposium in this way, we can see the true tragedy of the Symposium, which is the fate of philosophy in society.
Time: 5:00 - 6:00pm
Place: Speech Arts, Room 151
Mark Ralkowski, Ph.D.
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Abstract: There are several obstacles -- what I call the ontological, epistemological, moral, and political problems -- blocking the standard interpretation of the Republic as a work of utopianism. The first three of these problems are sufficient to show that the ideal state cannot come into existence, and the fourth informs us that an approximation of it is improbable and extremely undesirable. To make this last point, I describe the philosophic nature, explain how it is corrupted, and argue, on the basis of historical evidence and textual evidence from Plato's Republic, that this account applies to Alcibiades. Then I show that the Republic makes three references to Alcibiades, and that the second and third of these links the Republic with the conclusion of the Symposium, where Plato presents what one scholar describes as "the most indelible portrait of Alcibiades from antiquity." This portrait of Alcibiades gives us the best evidence that Plato thought of Alcibiades as a potential philosopher. In his speech, he is portrayed as possessing a significant degree of philosophical insight, despite being ruined by moral weakness. Once we link the Republic and the Symposium in this way, we can see the true tragedy of the Symposium, which is the fate of philosophy in society.
Friday, January 30, 2009
ON THE ECONOMY OF SPECIALIZATION AND DIVISION OF LABOUR IN PLATO'S REPUBLIC
On the Economy of Specialization and Division of Labour in Plato's Republic
Anna Greco, Ph.D.
University of Guelph
Date: Monday, February 2, 2009
Time: 5:00 - 6:00pm
Place: Speech Arts, Room 151
Abstract: This essay takes issue with the common interpretation of Book II of Plato's Republic as anticipating the modern theory of division of labour, as first promoted by Adam Smith. I argue that, far from anticipating Adam Smith, Plato developed original reflections which, though naturally shaped by the economic reality of his time, reveal a concern for fundamental issues of economic thought; the value of labour, the nature of economic interdependence in a political association, the relation between economic behavior and justice. However, I also show that , despite having recognized some of the fundamental forces behind human economic behavior, Plato ends up with an envisioned ideal state in which those forces are given no scope, for he makes no room for economic competitiveness and technological advancement.
For more information contact Ruth Aparicio, Department of Philosophy at 559-278-2621
559-278-6484 (fax)
Anna Greco, Ph.D.
University of Guelph
Date: Monday, February 2, 2009
Time: 5:00 - 6:00pm
Place: Speech Arts, Room 151
Abstract: This essay takes issue with the common interpretation of Book II of Plato's Republic as anticipating the modern theory of division of labour, as first promoted by Adam Smith. I argue that, far from anticipating Adam Smith, Plato developed original reflections which, though naturally shaped by the economic reality of his time, reveal a concern for fundamental issues of economic thought; the value of labour, the nature of economic interdependence in a political association, the relation between economic behavior and justice. However, I also show that , despite having recognized some of the fundamental forces behind human economic behavior, Plato ends up with an envisioned ideal state in which those forces are given no scope, for he makes no room for economic competitiveness and technological advancement.
For more information contact Ruth Aparicio, Department of Philosophy at 559-278-2621
559-278-6484 (fax)
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