Quick Links
Explore Our Campuses
Research
Programs
International
Become A Student
Careers
Alumni
About
Please Enter a Search Term
Department of Philosophy

News archive


Winter/Spring 2009

  • The Public Lectures in Philosophy 11th series, concluded this semester with Dr. Arthur Sullivan, Department of Philosophy, Memorial University, who spoke on “Can You Rely on Your Intuitions? The Challenge of Experimental Philosophy” Tuesday, March 31, 8:30-10pm, The Ship Pub
  • HOTopics, a new series co-organized by Dr. Natalie Oman, Philosophy, and Dr. Robin Whitaker, Anthropology, continued this semester with: No Justice, No Peace? International Intervention in Question, 7 pm, Wednesday March 4, Chemistry 2033. Click for more details
  • Guest Lecturer: Dr Geoffrey Bowe, Candidate for the position of Assistant Professor—Ancient Philosophy, Dept. of Philosophy, spoke on “What I did on my summer vacation: Medici, Ficino, Plato and Me, or, how the genre of protreptic writing informs Plato’s dialogues” Thursday, February 26th , 12 noon-1:20pm, SN 4063
  • The Public Lectures in Philosophy 11th series, continued this semester with Dr. Michael Temelini, Department of Political Science, Memorial University, who spoke on “Civic Illiteracy and Its Dangers” Tuesday, February 24, 8:30-10pm, The Ship Pub
  • Visiting Speaker: Dr. Frank Peddle, Dominican University College, Ottawa, gave a paper to the Philosophy colloquium, “Human Rights and Affordable Housing” Thursday, February 19th, 2-3:20pm, SN 2041
  • Guest Lecturer: Dr. Seamus O’Neill, Candidate for the position of Assistant Professor—Ancient Philosophy, Dept. of Philosophy, spoke on “Transcendence, Creation, and the Demonic: Plotinus the Heretic and the Platonic Grounds for a Revival of Neoplatonism” Thursday, February 19th , 12 noon-1:20pm, SN 4063
  • Guest Lecturer: Dr. Jean-Philippe Ranger, Candidate for the position of Assistant Professor—Ancient Philosophy, Dept. of Philosophy, spoke on “Reconciling Eudaimonia and the Common Good in the Polis: Aristotle and Epicurus in Dialogue” Thursday, February 12th , 12 noon-1:20pm, SN 4063
  • The Public Lectures in Philosophy 11th series, began again this semester with Dr. Daniel Haile, Department of Economics, Memorial University, speaking on “Does The Genesis of Inequality Count More Than Inequality Per Se”? Tuesday, January 27, 8:30-10pm, The Ship Pub
  • The Student Colloquium Series 2009 started Friday, Jan. 30th, 1-2pm, A-1049 with Kyle Rees speaking on “Memes and the Death of the Human Project”


Fall 2008

The Public Lectures in Philosophy 11th series, concluded this semester with Dr. Sean McGrath, Department of Philosophy, Memorial University, speaking on “Does Anybody Still Have a Soul? A lecture about love, death, and everything in between.” Tuesday, Nov. 25, 8:30-10pm, The Ship Pub
The Philosophy Department had its first Meet and Greet, 1-2pm, Friday, Nov.7, Science Bldg. 4087 (Sally Davis Seminar Room) accompanied by pizza and refreshments

HOTopics, a new series co-organized by Dr. Natalie Oman, Philosophy, and Dr. Robin Whitaker, Anthropology, continued with: Not Every Vote Counts: Responding to Canada's Democratic Deficit, 7 pm, Wednesday November 5th in Arts & Administration,
Rm. 1049. Click for description of this HOTopic
The Philosophy Society organized a lively Halloween mixer Friday, Oct. 31st
Visiting Speakers, Fall 2008: continued with: Professor Gabor Csepregi, President, Dominican University College, Ottawa, spoke on “The Intelligence of the Body” Thursday October 30, 2-3:30 pm, SN 2101
The Public Lectures in Philosophy 11th series, continued this semester with Dana Larsen, ‘Bounced’ NDP candidate, Former Editor of Cannabis Culture Magazine, and author of Hairy Pothead and the Marijuana Store. He spoke on “End the Drug War to Save the World: Side Effects Include World Peace and ‘The Munchies’ Tuesday, Oct. 28, 8:30-10pm, The Ship Pub
Visiting Speakers, Fall 2008 began with a colloquium talk by Dr. Markus Enders from Freiburg who also led a Jockey Club discussion and continued with the Henrietta Harvey speaker, a special colloquium with Michael Ruse, and other events.
The Department hosted the Henrietta Harvey Lecturer, Dr. Mathieu Marion, along with several other speakers this week, including Benoit Castelnerac, Chinatsu Kobayashi, and Michael Ruse
The Public Lectures in Philosophy 11th series, began this semester with Dr. Peter Trnka, Department of Philosophy, Memorial University, who spoke on “How Do Philosophy and Free Thinking Navigate Politics? Between the Scylla of Endless Responsibility and the Charybdis of Total Autonomy” Tuesday, Sept. 30, 8:30-10pm, The Ship Pub
HOTopics, a new series co-organized by Dr. Natalie Oman, Philosophy, and Dr. Robin Whitaker, Anthropology, kicked off its first event, “The Autonomy of Memorial University: Why It Matters” A town hall discussion with MUNFA, MUNSU, and government representatives, Wed. Oct. 1, 7pm, Engineering Rm. 2043

The Department had its annual fall lunch with faculty and grad students Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008
Winter 2008
Philosophy graduates, May 2008 convocation
Philosophy Society hosts end of term mixer
The Barend Kiefte Award Ceremony
This year’s Kiefte Award winner and ceremony:
Public Lecture Series continues:
The Public Lectures in Philosophy, 10th series, continued this semester with Dr. Philippe Basabose, Department of French and Spanish, Memorial University, on “Genocide as a Defiance to Ethics: The Case of Rwanda,” Tuesday, March 25, 8:30-10pm, The Ship Pub
Philosophy society hosts “Leap Year” mixer
Public Lecture Series starts up for the semester
The Public Lectures in Philosophy, 10th series, began again this semester with Arthur Sullivan and Steven Gardner of the Philosophy Department, Memorial University, on “Putting the ‘Physical’ in ‘Physicalism’”, Tuesday, February 26, 8:30-10pm, The Ship Pub
New series: the Philosophy Society organized a Student Colloquium series this winter term, Thursdays 12-12:50pm:
Morgan Blakley gave the first paper in the new Student Colloquium on Ethics on “The Risk of Language in Plato”, Thursday, Jan. 31st , 2008, 12-12:50pm
Visiting Speaker: Dr. John Trent, Fellow of the Centre on Governance, University of Ottawa and retired professor and Chair, Department of Political Science, University of Ottawa, spoke at a number of public events this week:
· a guest lecture: “Principles of Global Governance”, Thursday, January
17, 2-3:20, A-1045
· a public panel on “The Afghanistan Mission: Global Governance and the Responsibility to Protect under International Law,” Thursday, Jan. 17, 7:30-9:30, C2045, along with:
-Leo Barry, Judge of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador,
-Natalie Oman, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, Memorial University,
-David Thompson, Professor, Philosophy, Memorial University
(the panel presented by the Department of Philosophy in cooperation with the Department of Political Science)
· Finally, Dr. Trent led Jockey Club (the first of the semester) in a discussion of his paper “Modernizing the United Nations System: Civil Society’s role in Moving from International Relations to Global Governance” 4:30 to 6:30 pm at Roxxy's Bar on George St., St. John's.
The Philosophy Winter Colloquium kicked off with Dr. Evan Simpson’s opening paper on “Truth as the End of Politics”. Tuesday, January 15, 2-3:30pm, AA 1045
Fall 2007
Events involving philosophers:
The Women’s Studies Speaker’s Series presented A Public Lecture by:
Lorraine Code, Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Philosophy, York University, & Nancy’s Chair in Women's Studies, Mount Saint Vincent University, who spoke on
Images of Expertise: Women,
Science and the Politics of
Representation
Tuesday, 4 December
T
he Public Lectures in Philosophy, 10th series, continued this semester with: Mark Anderson, Department of English, Memorial University spoke on “Pioneer or Invader? Nationalism in Settler Fiction” Tuesday, November 27, 8:30-10pm
Philosophy’s Jay Foster gave a talk in the Biology Dept. on:
Friday, Nov. 16th, 2007, 4pm, Click for
Philosophy Colloquium Visiting Speakers’ Series:
Janna Rosales, Ph.D. Candidate, Religion, University of Toronto, spoke on “Designing a Better Human being, or Eugenics by Any Other Name? Transhumanism and the Principle of Procreative Beneficence” (Tuesday, Nov. 6th, 2-3:30pm)
Philosophy Colloquium Visiting Speakers’ Series:
Robert Gibbs, Department of Philosophy and Director, Jackman Humanities Institute, University of Toronto spoke on “Ethics and the Law” (Thursday, November 1st , 2-3:30pm)
Dr. Gibbs also gave a number of other talks while here including:
· a public lecture/discussion on Breaking Barriers: Jews, Christians and Muslims Reading Each Other's Scriptures Thursday, Nov. 1st, 8 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
· a Humanities Lecture: “AFTER YOU: A close engagement with Levinas on the question of indexicality and the ‘person’ of theory” Friday, Nov. 2nd, 2007, 2pm,
· leading a Jockey Club discussion on Franz Rosenzweig’s “The Eternal: Mendelssohn and the Name of God” Friday, Nov. 2nd, 2007, 4: 30-6:30
The Public Lectures in Philosophy, 10th series, began this semester with David Thompson, recently retired from the Department of Philosophy, Memorial University, talking on“Is believing in God irresponsible” Tuesday, October 30th, 8:30-10pm

Winter 2007

The Philosophy Society held its Halloween mixer, Friday, Oct. 26 (this time there were paparazzi)

click for more Mixer pictures

· The Philosophy Society held the first mixer of the academic year, Friday, Oct. 5 (sadly, someone forgot to bring a camera for pictures—stay tuned for the next mixer)


Philosophy Staff News

Philosophy’s own Jennifer Dawe was among those honoured for years of service at a special employee recognition luncheon, Wednesday, Jan. 31st, 2007. Click for full story (including a recording of Jennifer’s thoughts on being at Memorial)

The St. John’s Public Lectures in Philosophy, 9th series , resumed this semester at the Ship Pub with Adam Riggio, Department of Philosophy, Memorial, on: “I’m living in a material world and I am a material girl—but I’m still free”
Tuesday, January 30, 8:30-10pm


Visiting Speakers:
Dr. Christine Overall, Professor of Philosophy & University Research Chair, Queen's University and Current holder of Nancy's Chair in Women's Studies, Mount Saint Vincent University, gave a Philosophy Colloquium paper on “Conjoined Twins, Embodied Personhood and Surgical Separation”, Thursday, January 18, 2007. More»

Winter 2006

Visiting Philosophers:

· David Scott (University of Victoria) gave a talk on Cartesian subjectivity in the Winter Colloquium Series; also led a Jockey Club discussion on issues in physicalism and spoke on Leibniz to one of the philosophy seminars. Professor Scott is a former graduate of the philosophy department at Memorial who has, amongst other things, translated Malebranche and written on the continental rationalists. He is currently working on a study of Leibniz and Malebranche.



· Gregory MacIsaac (Carleton University & the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes) gave a talk in the Winter Colloquium Series on Plato, Plotinus, and Proclus; he also led a Jockey Club discussion on evil in Proclus and Dante



News about Philosophy Students. In April 2006 Heather Perry won the Barend Kiefte Departmental Award for excellence in political philosophy, for her paper in PHIL 3400. The prize was first awarded in 2004, to Aaron O’Brien and then in 2005 to Adam Riggio

Fall 2006

Philosophy Colloquium Visiting Speakers’ Series: Dr. Eyal Chowers, Tel Aviv & Princeton, gave a talk on “Democratic Laguage: Inwardness and Public Speech in the Thought of Hannah Arendt and C.N. Bialik” on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2-3:30pm

The Philosophy Society organized a Halloween mixer, Friday, Oct. 27, 2006

Visiting Speakers: Professor Adèle Mercier, Queen’s University, gave a Philosophy Colloquium paper on “Genes, Memes & Morphemes: Philosophical Reflections on What a Word is”on Thursday, Nov.16; Professor Mercier also led a lively Jockey Club discussion the following day on some recent work by Steven Pinker

Guest Lecturer: Dr. Bryan Smyth, Candidate for the position of Assistant Professor—Phenomenology, Dept. of Philosophy, spoke on “Vérité à faire? The Militancy of Phenomenology and the Question of Faith” Thursday, January 11, 2007, 12-1:30 pm,

Guest Lecturer: Dr. Sean McGrath, Candidate for the position of Assistant Professor—Phenomenology, Dept. of Philosophy, spoke on “The Limits of Theory in Aquinas’ Negative Theology & the Early Heidegger” Monday, December 11 11:30-2pm

Guest Lecturer: Dr. Lisa Guenther, Candidate for the position of Assistant Professor—Phenomenology, Dept. of Philosophy, spoke on “"Le Flair Animal: Levinas on Friendship” Thursday, November 30, 12 noon-1:30 pm

The St. John’s Public Lectures in Philosophy, 9th series concluded the fall term with Dr. Christopher Lockett, Dept. of English, Memorial University on “History's Better Angels: American Exceptionalism at the End” Tuesday, November 28th, 2006, The Ship Pub, 8:30-10pm.


The Cognitive Science Lecture Series finished this fall with a joint presentation by Jay Foster and Arthur Sullivan: “If you can’t build one, then you don’t know how it works: Some Open Questions
About Language and Cognition" Thursday, Nov. 23rd, 2006, 12-1pm, A1049 Click here for schedule and details.



Fall 2005

Cognitive Science Lecture Series (pilot series) begins at Memorial, sponsored by the Philosophy Department Click here for schedule of talks.

October 13: Philosophy’s David Thompson gave a lecture in the Cognitive Science Lecture Series on “What Puts the ‘Cognitive’ in Cognitive Science?”
click here for abstract


October 21: Five of our M.A. students received their degrees at Fall convocation on October 21. Congratulations to Mami, Sue, Mostafa, Jill, and Katie!

October 25-29: Professor Robert Pippin spent the week here as the Henrietta Harvey Distinguished Lecturer, Fall 2005, giving lectures, seminars, and colloquia. On October 28 he gave the Henrietta Harvey Lecture, “Hegel on Agency and Self-Knowledge” as the Keynote Address for the Annual Meeting of the Atlantic Region Philosophical Association, held here at Memorial in 2005


News about Philosophy Students from Fall 2005


Adam Riggio won the Pro Vice-Chancellor's Prize for Undergraduate Scholarship for his paper "The Punishment of Freedom: Modern Society at the Crossroads as Seen by Michel Foucault." The paper was originally written for PHIL 3400, with Professor Evan Simpson and it won the Barend Kiefte Departmental Award for excellence in political philosophy in Winter 2005. This is Adam’s second Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Prize: he won it in 2003 for a poli sci paper he wrote on the ideology of Project for a New American Century. Congratulations on all these achievements, Adam!



Share