Student Spotlight: Sarah Cyr

Sarah Cyr, a double major in philosophy and history, describes herself as a “huge nerd.” Sarah elaborates, “My academic interests are all over the place – I’m a former biological anthropology major, so I’m interested in human evolution, anatomy, and osteology (the study of bones), as well as the history and philosophy of science.” Sarah […]

Welcoming newest faculty, Eirik Lang Harris

We look forward to Eirik Lang Harris, a specialist in Chinese philosophy and political philosophy, joining the department in January 2021. Chair Matt MacKenzie explains the significance of Harris’ hire, “As an accomplished expert in Chinese philosophy, he continues the department’s long tradition in global philosophies and East Asian Thought.” Harris follows in the footsteps […]

Bodaken Philosophy Symposium: Second-Year Review

The Bodaken Philosophy Symposium is a multi-year series of events sponsored by philosophy alumnus Bruce Bodaken.  The Symposium encourages dialogue between scholars and the larger community on issues of both philosophical and social significance. 2019-2020: Living Together Online: Social Epistemology, Ethics, and the Internet The philosophy department hosted two events this past academic year that relate to […]

The Value of Place and Space: Two Philosophers Seek a Moral Dimension to Our Current Views

Katie McShane is an ethicist; Idris Hamid is a metaphysician. She studies a love of place; he investigates dimensions of space.  She tackles environmental policy discourse; he’s knee-deep in Islamic cosmology. Although these thinkers come from different worlds personally and philosophically, they do share a common perspective on what’s lacking in modern conceptions of place and space—a sense of value.