Just for fun, Soames’ talk yesterday evening reminded me of a review of a comic book about logic that came out a couple of years ago and was mentioned here in the blog before. Here is the comic book’s caricature of one of the possible problems facing the Frege/Russell project that Soames alluded to yesterday:
You can read the full review of the book here.
Both talks are by Scott Soames, distinguished professor, director of School of Philosophy, University of Southern California.
Don’t miss them! Here is the info on the first talk:
Thursday, September 27, 2012 @ 7:30pm — Kilworth Memorial Chapel
Philosophy, practiced since the beginning of time, led to the emergence of more “hands-on” sciences such as physics and economics. Could it be that the study of language today is experiencing similar growth of new knowledge and new applications that stem from philosophy?
Scott Soames will discuss this question, looking at developments in deductive logic, in the theory of computation, in generative linguistics, and most recently in the semantics of names and natural kind terms—all of which were initiated by philosophers. He will examine how these inquiries have led to the experimentation, empirical research, and systematic theorizing that is characteristic of the sciences.
Soames’ own work, beginning with his graduate training with renowned scholar and author Noam Chomsky, has been at the center of recent developments. Such studies have born practical fruit, most obviously in the capacity of computers to communicate in English and other human languages, but also in teaching second languages, in preserving heritage languages, in organizing vast stores of electronic information, in Google searches, and in the sort of data mining that discovers threats to national security in a mass of text messages.
And here is the info on the second talk:
Friday, September 28, @3:30pm in Wyatt 109
The Philosophy and Political Theory Film Series theme for 2012-2013 is “Apocalypse and Dystopia”. Please join us for the first film in the series:
FILM SCREENING FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION WITH
ALISA KESSEL (POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT), JUSTIN TIEHEN (PHILOSOPHY), AND ARIELA TUBERT (PHILOSOPHY)
NEXT ON THE SERIES: BELLFLOWER ON OCTOBER 30TH
SPONSORED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Hello Everyone!
The Puget Sound Philosophy Blog is doing a call for articles. If you are a Puget Sound student or alumni with interests in philosophy, we want we want your work!
Here are a few guidelines:
Roughly 300-500 words
Once submitted, your articles will be reviewed by students and then posted on the blog. This is a great opportunity to hone your writing skills, and explore the wonderful world of philosophy. We look forward to reading your pieces!
PS: If you are interested in becoming an editor for the blog posts, or helping out with a senior interview project for spring semester, please also email pugetsoundphilosophy@gmail.com for more information.
Another recent article on the practical value of studying philosophy (for some earlier similar ones, see here, here, here, here, and here.) This article, like some of the earlier ones, points out that the value of studying philosophy lies not only in the particular facts or theories one learns about. The skills that are developed in the process can be useful in many pursuits that are unrelated to the material being studied.
Here is a brief excerpt (read the rest of the article for a list of skills she finds are developed by the study of philosophy and useful for entrepreneurship):
…While working with a team this past year to develop an entrepreneurial education program, I met with dozens of entrepreneurs from around the world, listened to their stories, and looked for patterns in their experience. Even in skill-specific fields such as technology, many successful entrepreneurs studied — and were downright passionate about — philosophy. Curious, I decided ask these philosophy grads how their major had contributed to their success and found that many of their answers were, in fact, similar.
Few said that they were likely to reference Foucault in a meeting or zip home in a hurry to consult their much-highlighted copy of Husserl’s Logical Investigations before making a business decision. They found, however, that the ways of thinking, making connections, and approaching problems developed through the rigorous study of philosophy maintained their relevance and value long after graduation. While having a background in philosophy may not be enough to start and manage a successful business, philosophy grads do bring a unique set of skills to new businesses….
Arete, The Undergraduate Philosophy Journal of Rutgers University, is now accepting paper submissions for publication in its Spring 2013 issue. On the order of 3 papers will be published, digitally and in print (limited run).
Traditionally only work from college upperclassmen is encouraged. Analytic rigor is prerequisite for publication. Papers from any field of philosophy are welcome.
Submissions should not exceed 8,000 words, with a cover page, abstract, and citations in APA format. Do not include information in the text of your paper that identifies the author or the institution you attend. Submit papers by attachment, (from an email address we can use to correspond with you) in Word document or PDF format, to rundergrad.philo.journal@gmail.com by October 15th, 2012.
The authors of papers accepted for publication will be notified in December.
Call for Submissions: The Ethical Biologist
Although ‘bioethics’ is often used to describe the application of ethical and moral theories to biological sciences and technology, in its broadest sense, the term ‘bioethics’ refers to the study of the ethics of life. This interdisciplinary field promises to become increasingly important to all people as technology and science becomes increasingly prevalent in daily life. The Ethical Biologist is a new peer-reviewed undergraduate research journal based at the University of Connecticut that seeks to highlight new ideas in bioethics.
We are currently accepting submissions for our inaugural issue, to be published in the spring of 2013. We encourage the submission of pieces that address current issues in bioethics, or that consider the behavioral, biological, environmental, political, legal, or socioeconomic factors that influence bioethical issues.
The journal is completely student-run and student refereed.
Until 11:59 p.m. (EST) on December 16, 2012, we will be accepting:
● Original Academic Research Papers (2500-3500 words) – Pieces that address a specific area of bioethical study
● Perspectives (1200 word maximum) – Opinion pieces that analyze a recent development in bioethics
● Field notes (2000 word maximum) – Journal-style pieces based on relevant personal experience and written with a more personal voice
Please turn in all submissions to uconn.bioethics@gmail.com by December 16, 2012. If you have any questions, please contact us directly. Our website, which is currently undergoing maintenance, will be available for more information beginning in October. Visit us at http://www.ethicalbiologist.org.
This seemed like an appropriate post for the beginning of the academic year. Philosopher John Perry’s recent book The Art of Procrastination has been getting a lot of media attention lately. Listen to his interview on NPR, watch him on a brief interview on CNN, or read one of his recent articles in The Wall Street Journal or USA Today. He claims that procrastinating in the right way can help us accomplish many things. Don’t use this as an excuse not to do your reading for class though!
PUGET SOUND PHILOSOPHY 