Philosophy Events

2024

Feb. 28, 2024

Philosophy Bowling Bash, 5-7 p.m.

WSU Philosophy majors, minors, and friends are encouraged to join for an afternoon bowling party with philosophy faculty at Shocker Lanes in the basement of the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC).

Saturday, April 13

KPS41: 41st Annual Meeting of the Kansas Philosophical Society

9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Rhatigan Student Center (RSC) Room 262 (Herman Room)

Great news! We're hosting the Kansas Philosophical Society Meeting at WSU. Sessions are free and open to the public!

Meeting Schedule:

• 9 - 9:45 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast
• 9:45 - 10 a.m. Opening Remarks
• Session I: 10a.m. - 12p.m. Session Chair: Susan Castro
  • "Knockdown Arguments in Philosophy and Epistemic Underdetermination", Howard Liu, University of Miami
  • "Arisotle's Categorical Syllogistic and its Relation to Scientific Knowledge", Minxing Huang, University of Kansas.
• Lunch: 12-1p.m.
• Session II: 1 - 2 p.m. Session Chair: Ian Smith
  • "Privacy as Obscurity: Inference, Big Data, and Attentional Resources", Clint Hurshman, University of Kansas
  • "The Question of Institutional Stability", Cole Bruening, University of Kansas
• Break: 2 - 2:30 p.m.
• Session III: 2:30 - 4:30p.m. Session Chair: Dennis Arjo
  • "Xunzi and Freud: How not to do Comparative Studies", Xiufen Lu, Wichita State Unviersity
• KPS Business Meeting: 4:30 - 5p.m.

2023

March 23-24, 2023

Dr. Deborah Boyle, Professor of Philosophy, College of Charleston

Distinguished Lectures in History of Philosophy

• 3:30 - 5 p.m., LH 100: "Mary Shepherd's Causal Principles and Divine Causation" March 23, 2023
• 3:30 - 5 p.m., LH 100: "Sympathetic Curiosity: Joanna Baillie's Account and Elizabeth Hamilton's Critique" March 24, 2023

 Learn more about Dr. Deborah Boyle

Sept. 7, 2023

Drs. David and Deborah Soles, Professors Emeritus, Wichita State University

Philosophy Colloquium

"Considerations on Loyalty"
Abstract: At the moment allusions to loyalty figure prominently in both the media and informal conversations. Almost daily one encounters headlines about Trump’s refusal to take the RNC Loyalty Oath,  numerous news stories discuss Pence’s assertion that his loyalty to the Constitution outweighed his loyalty to Trump and several Jan. 6 defendants claim to have been motivated by loyalty to Trump. Unfortunately, much of what is said reveals serious misunderstandings about loyalty. This paper attempts to address some of the confusion by considering the nature, duties and constraints of loyalty.

Learn more about Dr. David Soles

Learn more about Dr. Deborah Soles

Dec. 7, 2023

Dr. John Symons, Professor, University Of Kansas

Director, The Center For Cyber Social Dynamics

Editor-In-Chief, Global Philosophy

Philosophy Colloquium

"How AI will Affect Science"

Learn more about Dr. John Symons

 

2022

April 7-8, 2022

Dr. Sarah Robins, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of Kansas

Distinguished Lectures in Philosophy of Psychology

• "The Memory Trace in Philosophy and Neuroscience" Academic lecture, open to the public. April 7, 2022
  Abstract: Memory traces are a persistent yet puzzling feature of our thinking about memory. They have been a part of theorizing about memory for as long as there has been theorizing about memory. But they’re also mysterious. The primary way of ‘making sense’ of them is via metaphors—traces are likened birds in aviaries, impressions in wax, items in a warehouse, or grooves in a record. As philosophy of memory has grown recently into an active subfield, many working in this area consider traces an unnecessary and outdated idea. Meanwhile, memory researchers in neurobiology proclaim that we are in the midst of “engram renaissance” (Josselyn, Köhler, & Frankland, 2017). Engram is a new word for an old idea, the current scientific term for the memory trace. New tools like optogenetics have produced a number of discoveries, exciting not only for what they reveal about the basic mechanisms of memory, but for the opportunities they provide to connect with broader areas of memory science. What are memory traces, and do we need them? The memory trace (or engram) remains woefully undertheorized—a neglect that persists even as the philosophy of memory expands. In this talk, I sketch a way to address this, developing a theory of the engram/trace that captures work in contemporary neurobiology and conveys its significance for our theorizing about memory more broadly. The account also serves to appropriately situate the neurobiology of memory as a central contributor in the interdisciplinary inquiry into memory, and as an area of memory science worth the attention of philosophers of memory. 
• "Moral Motivation and Behavior" Special discussion for students only. Friday, April 8, 2022
• "Why Philosophy Matters for the Mind-Brain Sciences" Public lecture for general audience. Friday, April 8, 2022

Learn more about Dr. Sarah Robins

2021

April 22 and 29, 2021

Dr. Kathryn Tabb, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Bard College

Distinguished Speaker Series

• "Reasoning with the Mad: On Charles Darwin's Strange Debt to John Locke” April 22, 2021
• "John Locke on Persons and Punishment”  April 29, 2021

Learn more about Dr. Kathryn Tabb

May 11, 2021

Dr. Susan G. Sterrett, Curtis D. Gridley Distinguished Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, Wichita State University

Perspectives: Reestablishing Reality, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Spring Lecture Series

"Science and Bias"

Learn more about Dr. Susan G. Sterrett

Oct. 27-28, 2021

LCDR Joseph M. Hatfield, Assistant Professor, Department of Cyber Science, United States Naval Academy

Special Guest Speaker

• "The Economic and Philosophical Significance of Cryptocurrencies" Oct. 27, 2021
  Overview: In this talk I will explain what cryptocurrencies are, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, how they work, and examine their economic, entrepreneurial, and philosophical significance. Philosophically, I will discuss how independently executed programs on a blockchain, also called "smart-contracts," have ushered in the return of classical Aristotelian notions about teleology, which presents economic and legal challenges as these technologies become adopted. Ethically, cryptocurrencies give rise to both challenges and promises which will be discussed as well. No prior knowledge of any technology will be assumed.
• "Intelligence under Democracy and Authoritarianism: A Philosophical Analysis" >Oct. 28, 2021
  Overview: A proper philosophical analysis of the differences between secret state intelligence activities operating within political communities of dissimilar type reveals enough heterogeneity to undermine the assumption that these are the same activities at all. Comparing intelligence endeavors under democracies and dictatorships, this talk discusses philosophical ramifications that justify this heterodox conclusion. As different activities, they do not always share the same characteristics, processes, or purposes. Much follows from this recognition. For example, while analytical objectivity is traditionally considered the goal of all intelligence analysis, I argue that in authoritarian systems objectivity both isn’t and should not be the goal. Using poststructuralist critical theory, particularly the work of Michel Foucault, I further show that some traditional Western evaluations of authoritarian intelligence sometimes suffer from conceptual assumptions that treat the latter as merely a degenerate form of Western activities. I also introduce the fallacy of the omniscient customer as a critique against conventional evaluative models of the intelligence cycle that assume universalist assumptions.

Learn more about LCDR Joseph M. Hatfield

2020

We regret that our distinguished lectures for 2020 were cancelled due to COVID-19.

Dr. Kathryn Tabb, Assistant Professor, Bard College

Distinguished Lecture in the History of Philosophy

Learn more about Dr. Kathryn Tabb

Dr. Carl Craver, Professor of Philosophy and Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis

Distinguished Lecture in Philosophy of Psychology

Learn more about Dr. Carl Craver

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July 30, 2020

Online Workshop: What Equations Don’t Say

Learn more about What Equations Don’t Say

Dr. Lydia Patton, Professor of Philosophy and Affiliate in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society, Virginia Tech

"Fishbones, Wheels, Eyes, and Butterflies: A Heuristic Account of Models and Simulations”

Learn more about Dr. Lydia Patton

Dr. Colin McLarty, Truman P Handy Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Mathematics, Case Western Reserve University

"Fluid Motion for Philosophers of Mathematics"

Learn more about Dr. Colin McLarty

Dr. Erik Curiel, Assistant Professor, Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy; Senior Research Fellow, Black Hole Initiative, Harvard University; Research Fellow, Smithsonian Astrophysical Laboratory

“What To Do When You Can’t Solve Equations”

Learn more about Dr. Erik Curiel

Dr. Susan G. Sterrett, Curtis D Gridley Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, Wichita State University

“How Mathematics Figures Differently in Exact Solutions, Approximations, Simulations, and Experimental Physical Models“

Learn more about Dr. Susan G. Sterrett

2019

Feb. 9, 2019

Annual Meeting of the Kansas Philosophical Society, hosted by the WSU Department of Philosophy

Introduction

Susan Sterrett, Wichita State University

Welcome address

Andrew Hippisley, Dean of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State University

Keynote Address

Chair: Susan Sterrett, Wichita State University

• "The Mnemonic Puzzle" Sarah Robins, University of Kansas

April 18-19, 2019

Dr. Carl Craver, Washington University, St. Louis

Distinguished Lectures in the Philosophy of Psychology

• "Living with Memory: Can Individuals with Amnesia Consent?" April 18, 2019
• "Gloomy Prospects and Roller Coasters: Finding Coherence in Genome Wide Association Studies of Psychiatric Disorders" April 19, 2019

Learn more about Dr. Carl Craver

April 11, 2019

Dr. Noell Birondo

Associate Professor of Philosophy, Wichita State University

• "Aristotle and Aztec Human Sacrifice"

Learn more about Dr. Noell Birondo

Oct. 19, 2019

Conference celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the 60th anniversary of NASA

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Roger D. Launius, former NASA Chief Historian

Funded by a grant from the NASA Kansas Space Grant Consortium. For more information, please contact James.Schwartz@wichita.edu.

Learn more about the anniversary celebrations of Apollo 11 and NASA

Nov. 7 through 17, 2019

WSI Space Exploration Lecture Series

• Nov. 7, 2019 - Lawyer Christopher McHugh, spoke about a legal case involving Apollo lunar samples.
• Nov. 10-15, 2019 - WSU hosted a major, NASA-funded interstellar research conference: The Sixth Interstellar Symposium and Interstellar Propulsion Workshop featuring cutting-edge research on advanced propulsion concepts, interdisciplinary discussions of interstellar travel, and a science fiction author panel. Visit the conference website for more information
• Through Nov. 17, 2019 - WSU hosted the Lowell Nesbitt: Apollo 1969 art exhibit in the John Bardo Center. This installation was made possible by the Ulrich Museum of Art.

Learn more about the WSI Space Exploration Lecture Series

Nov. 14, 2019

Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen, Associate Professor of Linguistics, Bowling Green State University

“Cripping the Trip to Space: How Disabled Astronauts Will Save Space Colonization”

Learn more about Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen

Nov. 13, 2019

Dr. Kelly C. Smith, Associate Professor of Philosophy & Biological Sciences, Clemson University

"One Religion Please, Hold the God: Complexity, Natural 'Religion' and the Prospect of a Universal Ethic"

Learn more about Dr. Kelly C. Smith

2018

April 26-27, 2018

Dr. Mary Domski, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of New Mexico

Distinguished Lectures in the History of Philosophy

• "Descartes on Imagination, Truth, and Knowledge" April 26, 2018
• "Induction, Deduction, and Truth in Newton's Principia" April 27, 2018

Learn more about Dr. Mary Domski

Oct. 26, 2018

Dr. Jacob Goodson, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Southwestern College

• “First, We Laugh; Then, We Think Its Funny” Oct. 26, 2018

Learn more about Dr. Jacob Goodson

2012

Feb.18, 2012

31st Annual Meeting of the Kansas Philosophical Society  at Wichita State University

• “Agent-Centered Epistemic Deontologism” Gregory Stoutenburg, University of Iowa
  • Commentator: Patrick Epley, University of Oklahoma
• “Liar-Like Paradox and Metalanguage Features” Klaus Ladstaetter, Washburn University
  • Commentator: Tim Murphy, Fort Hays State University
• “Phenomenal Information and the Ability Hypothesis” Ian Harmon, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
  • Commentator: Dennis Arjo, Johnson County Community College

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2013

April 12-13, 2013

Dr. Lawrence Pasternack, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Oklahoma State University

• "The Many Gods Objection to Pascal’s Wager: A Decision Theoretic Response" April 11, 2013
• "Kant’s Touchstone of Communicability and the Public Use of Reason" April 12, 2013

Learn more about Dr. Lawrence Pasternack

Sept. 19, 2013

Dr. Susan V.H. Castro, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Wichita State University

"The Metacognitive Character of Kant's Formula of Universal Law of Nature: Acting "as if" and Autonoetic Mental Time Travel"

Learn more about Dr. Susan V.H. Castro

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2014

Jan. 29, 2014

Dr. James Schwartz, Fairmount Lecturer in Philosophy, Wichita State University

"Unfinished Business: The Burgess-Rosen Objection to Nominalism"

Learn more about Dr. James Schwartz

Oct. 14, 2014

Dr. Susan G. Sterrett, Curtis D. Gridley Distinguished Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science, Wichita State University

Curtis D. Gridley Distinguished Lecture in the History and Philosophy of Science

"The Use of Analogy in the Works of Darwin, Einstein and Turing" 

Learn more about Dr. Susan G. Sterrett

Oct. 17, 2014

Dr. Alison Jaggar, UC Boulder College Professor of Distinction, Philosophy and Women and Gender Studies

Research Coordinator, University of Oslo Centre for the Study of Mind in Nature

Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Birmingham, UK

"Measuring Gendered Poverty: Methodology and Morality"

Sponsored by the WSU Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Department of Philosophy, and the Center for Women’s Studies

Learn more about Dr. Alison Jaggar

Nov. 13, 2014

Dr. Peter Spirtes, Professor, Center for Automated Learning and Discovery, Professor of Philosophy, Carnegie Mellon University

“A Framework for Causal Discovery from Experimental and non-Experimental Data” 

Sponsored by the WSU Departments of Philosophy; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics

Learn more about Dr. Peter Spirtes

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2015

March 11, 2015

Dr. James Schwartz, Fairmount Lecturer in Philosophy, Wichita State University

"Why Should Philosophers Care about Space Exploration?" 

Learn more about Dr. James Schwartz

Spring 2015

Shocker Philosophy Conference

Organizer and Chair: Tyler Hiebert

• Hannah Erickson, "Philosophical Elucidations in the Application of Eudaimonia"
• Ben Porter, "Power and Pleasure in Locke"
• Shawn Odom, "Figuring Math"
• Stephen Grillot, "How Emotion Shows Us the Way and Reason Leads Us Astray"
• Joseph Sellers, "Issues Involving Sexual Use"

April 20, 2015

Dr. Sarah H. Woolwine, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Central Oklahoma

(co-author Dr. Eva M. Dadlez)

"Gender and Moral Virtue in Kant's Critique of Judgment: The Third Critique as a Template for Identifying Feminine Deficit"

Learn more about Dr. Sarah H. Woolwine

April 28, 2015

Iulia Mihai, Ph.D. Student, Ghent University

"Determinism and Continuity: Irregular Vibrations of the String"

Learn more about Iulia Mihai

May 8, 2015

Dr. Noell Birondo, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Wichita State University

"Virtue and Prejudice: Giving and Taking Reasons"

Learn more about Dr. Noell Birondo

Fall 2015

Dr. Jim Tabery, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Philosophy, University of Utah

Learn more about Dr. Jim Tabery

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2016

Sept. 29, 2016

Craig Macy, B.A. Wichita State University, J.D. Harvard University

"Dangerous Brains: The Convergence of NeuroScience, Philosophy, and Law" 

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2017

April 5-6, 2017

Dr. Robert Cummins, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Davis

Distinguished Lectures in Philosophy of Psychology

• "Neuroscience, Psychology, Reduction, and Functional Analysis" April 5, 2017
• "Representation in Kant's Aesthetic" April 6, 2017

Learn more about Dr. Robert Cummins