Rutgers Summer Institute for Diversity in Philosophy

August 1 – August 8, 2010

Rutgers University will sponsor the 2010 SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR DIVERSITY IN PHILOSOPHY. This seven day program is designed to introduce undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds to the various areas of specialization within the discipline of philosophy, give students a better idea of what graduate studies in philosophy is about, and explore various views about what it means to be a professional philosopher.   Up to fifteen students will be given the opportunity to interact in formal and informal settings with a group of talented graduate students and distinguished faculty members from a number of universities. 

Eligible students must demonstrate how their experiences and background foster greater diversity in the discipline of philosophy and be full-time students in a college or university in the United States (preference will be given to sophomores and juniors, though others are eligible.) Interested students must be in good academic standing and be interested in philosophy as a career.  The Institute will provide travel, room and board, and a $200 stipend.  This year’s program will be held at the University Inn & Conference Center in New Brunswick, NJ.

Applications must be completed and submitted to the 2010 Summer Institute for Diversity in Philosophy and postmarked no later than May 4, 2010. 

For more information and application instructions, check their page here.

Philosophy in Second Grade?

“The Examined Life, Age 8 ”
By ABBY GOODNOUGH
The New York Times – April 8, 2010

THINKERS Second graders at a charter school in Springfield, Mass., discuss the moral issues raised in children’s books.

A few times each month, second graders at a charter school in Springfield, Mass., take time from math and reading to engage in philosophical debate. There is no mention of Hegel or Descartes, no study of syllogism or solipsism. Instead, Prof. Thomas E. Wartenberg and his undergraduate students from nearby Mount Holyoke College use classic children’s books to raise philosophical questions, which the young students then dissect with the vigor of the ancient Greeks…

Read the rest of the article here  (may require subscription)

Tues 4/13 – Movie The Prestige

This Tuesday (4/13) we will be showing the movie “The Prestige” as the latest installment of the Philosophy and Political Theory Film Series.  Here is the information.

Movie: “The Prestige,” starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and Michael Caine, and directed by Christopher Nolan.

When: Tuesday, 4/13, at 7:00 p.m.

Where: Rausch Auditorium.

Description: The rivalry between two magicians is exacerbated when one of them performs the ultimate illusion.

Discussion: Afterward with Justin Tiehen and Ariela Tubert from Philosophy and Alisa Kessel from Politics & Government.

Don’t miss it!

Philosopher on Late Night

Watch Jonathan Dancy (professor of philosophy at UT Austin and the University of Reading) in the Craig Ferguson Show discussing moral philosophy and moral particularism (the view that Dancy defends in his book Ethics Without Principles).

And the last couple of minutes of the interview…