Spread the word! Spring 2018 classes...

Undergraduate Conference Opportunities

Students, check out these great opportunities to take your work to the next level!  There are several conferences going on, in a variety of places.  The AU Philosophy Dept. strongly encourages student research, and if you get accepted, we might be able to extend you some funding.

Be sure to take note of the submission deadlines.  Good luck!

 

Ashland Religion News: Fall Lectures - Mending America

Ashland Religion News: Fall Lectures - Mending America: There is an exciting series of public lectures at Ashland University in September and October that all--in their own way--address the seemin...

Ashland Science News: Lecture commemorates 50th anniversary of Science a...

Below is a link to the AU Science blog, which discusses the recent lecture by Dr. Allan Brandt, sponsored in part by the Philosophy Department, Philosophy Club, and Phi Sigma Tau!



Ashland Science News: Lecture commemorates 50th anniversary of Science a...: Prof. William Vaughan introducing Dr. Allan Brandt of Harvard University A lecture presented by Dr. Allan M. Brandt,  Kass Profess...

Material Success!

On Tuesday, February 27, Dr. Kevin Sharpe, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Religious Studies at St. Cloud State University, MN, delivered his talk titled:

“Can a materialist believe in the incarnation?”

The talk was well attended, and Dr. Sharpe skillfully explained the major issues involved in making sense of a materialist view of humanity in conjunction with a Christian picture of the incarnation.

Students and faculty were challenged to evaluate some difficult metaphysical scenarios.  One of the highlights of the afternoon was Dr. Sharpe's challenge to himself, which was to address two of the more complex objections against his view [click link below]:

Dr. Sharpe Video

After the talk, there was a lively and in-depth Q&A session.  All in all, the talk was a success, and gave our students a different way to think about matters concerning the Incarnation.

Thank you again to Dr. Sharpe for his time and commitment!

Upcoming Speaker!

The Philosophy Department, in conjunction with the Philosophy Club and Phi Sigma Tau, are proud to invite Dr. Kevin Sharpe, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Religious Studies at St. Cloud State University, MN, who will be delivering a talk on the following topic:

“Can a materialist believe in the incarnation?”

When: Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 4 pm

Where: Schar Ronk Lecture Hall

In his own words: "As a Christian I believe that the divine Son of God became incarnate and in so doing became human, but I also believe that human persons are wholly material substances – specifically, I believe that human persons are animals.  But it seems like it’s impossible for both of these claims to be true.  The problem is straightforward: if human persons are wholly material substances, then in becoming human the Son of God became a material substance and this seems impossible.  After all, isn’t it impossible for a wholly immaterial being to become a wholly material substance?  In this talk, I’ll critically review some of the main reasons for thinking that the divine Son could not become a material substance and I’ll argue that my preferred account of human persons provides an independently plausible way of addressing these objections.  In addressing these objections, I hope to take an important step toward showing that materialists with commitments like mine can also believe in the incarnation."

All are welcome!  Join us for a lively discussion!

Core Beliefs

I'm just going to throw this out there...

 

Philosophy IS cool...

 

Descartes and Hegel: Two of the Cool

Philosophy has always been useful, and practical, and theoretical too.  It also has always been cool...People just forget about that part.  The staff at the Houston Chronicle were able to sit down with Professor Gwen Bradford, her department chair Donald Morrison, and Peter Zuk, a graduate student at Rice University, to discuss the joys of philosophy.

"On the NBC sitcom "The Good Place," a young woman dies and gets an undeserved ticket to heaven. Once there, she enlists the help of a philosophy professor to teach her to become — belatedly — a good person. It's not just a shtick: Aristotle, David Hume and others, including the modern philosopher T.M. Scanlon, get not just name-checks but actual discussion."

To read the full article: CLICK HERE

By the way, if you want a philosopher's take on what it means to be cool, you can check out this article from Philosophy Now by Thorsten Botz-Bornstein: 

What Does It Mean to Be Cool?

Episteme Journal: Call for Papers

Students, here's another opportunity to do some Philosophy and show off what you have been working on in your classes.  If you are working on a thesis, or project, it's also a great venue for getting some external feedback.  Get it done!

For more information, or to download a volume of the journal, you can click on the following link: Episteme Journal

OPA Undergraduate Call for Papers!

Students, this year the Ohio Philosophical Association will offer special student sessions at the annual meeting!  This is a great opportunity to do some work and get involved at the academic level.  If you're interested, take note of the deadline and conditions below.