cfp Ephemeris Undergrad Journal 2009

CFP Call for Papers

Ephemeris Undergraduate Journal of Philosophy

Ephemeris is an undergraduate journal of philosophy published at Union
College and student-run. The purpose of Ephemeris is to harvest
exceptional undergraduate writing grounded in the distinct value and
interest of the philosophical endeavor.

Contributions are solicited in all areas of the philosophical
discipline. Contributions should take the form of essay, article, or
short note. Responses to previously published articles are also
welcome.

Be sure to include your name, postal and email addresses, and the
university or college in which you are enrolled as an undergraduate.

Email: Please send your work to ephemeris-uc@gmail.com.

Deadline for submissions March 2 2009.

Please visit the website for further important details
<http://punzel.org/Ephemeris>

More news:

2008 Edition off the presses?

We are awaiting patiently (sort of) word from the printer that 2008
Edition is off the presses and ready to distribute. It looks to be a
beautiful volume. Please drop us a note if you would like to receive a
copy.

New Journal in biomedical ethics

Greg Mitchell is starting up an undergraduate journal devoted to
issues in biomedical ethicswith the name, _Minerva Medical Ethics_.
Though inspired by our efforts, his journal is an independent
enterprise which we are happy to support. He provides a sketch of
plans at <http://punzel.org/Ephemeris/docs/MinervaBioEthics.html> and
you can reach him or submit work at <grgmtchll@gmail.com>

Ephemeris Staff

More on Majoring in Philosophy

See--we're not the only ones who say things like this:

http://www.scordo.com/blog/2008/12/why-major-in-philosophy.html

Call for Undergraduate Essays

The Interlocutor: Sewanee Philosophical Review is pleased to announce
its most recent volume and its first call for high quality
undergraduate essays for its upcoming volume.

Our call for essays and instructions for submissions can be viewed at
http://www.sewanee.edu/philosophy/interlocutor/submit.html

The most recent volume is available at
http://www.sewanee.edu/philosophy/interlocutor/journal.html

If you or your students have questions, please feel free to contact
interloc@sewanee.edu

Philosophy Department web page: http://www.sewanee.edu/Philosophy/

Good Discussion on Applying to Philosophy Programs

There is a worthwhile discussion going on at Leiter Reports:
http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2008/11/applying-twice.html

It began on the theme of "applying to the same school twice" (i.e.,
getting rejected one year from a school and applying again), but there
are a number of useful comments on the role/value of MA programs,
assembling one's application components, etc.

Call for Papers (San Jose State)

The San Jose State University Philosophy Club

Call for Undergraduate and Graduate Papers

Geist

Paper topic: This is a call for all papers of philosophical interest. We are especially looking for papers within the general topic of comparative philosophy. We broadly understand comparative philosophy to be the instance where different philosophical traditions (not limited to East v. West) and disciplines are brought to bear on a specific philosophic issue.

Format: Papers should be suitable for blind review. Name, institutional affiliation, contact information, and paper title should be included only on a front cover sheet. A paper abstract (100 – 200 words) is to be submitted with the paper. Authors who submit their papers via email are requested to send the cover sheet, abstract, and paper in one file.

Submissions are to be no longer than 4000 words.

To submit by mail send to:

Attn. Geist
Department of Philosophy
San Jose State University
1 Washington Square
San Jose, Ca 95192 – 0089

Electronic submissions are welcome and can be sent to: sjsugeist@gmail.com<mailto:sjsugeist@gmail.com>

Submission deadline: 1 January, 2009

Authors will be notified when their papers are received.

Accepted papers will be published in our journal, Geist, at the end of spring 2009.

Contact information: You can email us at: sjsugeist@gmail.com<mailto:sjsugeist@gmail.com>

TWO UPCOMING PHILOSOPHY TALKS AT CAL

Announcing
Off-Broadway
Philosophy of Science
Sponsored by the Philosophy Department of California University of Pennsylvania

This year the most significant professional society of philosophers of science, The Philosophy of Science Association, is holding its annual meeting in Pittsburgh. The Superstars of Philosophy of Science are descending on southwestern Pennsylvania in droves! But the Philosophy Department has lured two of them away from the glamour of the Big Show downtown to present their work at Cal U in a more intimate setting. Come and see how philosophy of science was meant to be done, without all the pageantry and flash that inevitably attends any large meeting of philosophers. Who knows, they may even sign autographs!

The Composition of the World
Dr. Richard Healey of the University of Arizona
(Philosophy of Physics)
Wednesday, November 5th, 4:30 pm in DUDA 103

In the west, both philosophy and science began with speculations about what things are made of. Leucippus and Democritus said everything in the world is composed of indivisible, unchanging atoms. The scientific community finally became convinced that atoms exist early in the 20th century, just when it had become clear that atoms are not indivisible and evidence was emerging that one kind of atom could be changed into another. Currently popular scientific candidates for ultimate building blocks include electrons, quarks and strings. The belief that everything is composed of some such microscopic parts is common among contemporary philosophers. After the influential work of Peter Van Inwagen, metaphysicians have tended to argue about how much can be built out of them. Van Inwagen himself denied that there are any ordinary objects like rocks, tables and automobiles precisely because, according to any metaphysically acceptable notion of composition, we cannot take these to be composed of ultimate building blocks.
I shall argue that closer attention to how scientists model the world has much to teach contemporary metaphysicians about composition and "thing-hood". Science may be our surest guide to what there is in the world. But Quine had it right when he said "The scientific system, ontology and all, is a conceptual bridge of our own making, linking sensory stimulation to sensory stimulation."

Beliefs, Believings, and What's at Stake
Dr. Brad Armendt of Arizona State University
(Philosophy of Science, Epistemology, Decision Theory)
Monday, November 10th, 3:30 pm in DUDA 103

How does what's at stake influence what one believes? A cook believes that a dinner he has prepared for guests is free of peanut products. However, he withdraws his belief when he learns that a guest is allergic to peanuts. The high stakes makes him cautious. Alternatively, we may think of the cook as having a high degree of belief that the dinner is peanut-free before his guests arrive but a lower degree of belief when one arrives and reveals an allergy to peanuts.
There are several ways of understanding examples like this. Perhaps there is not really a change in what he believes, but instead just a change in how he chooses (to serve the food or not) when the stakes increase. Or perhaps his belief does change, as our beliefs often do, when he learns new information (that the stakes are now high). Or perhaps we really cannot say what he believes about the composition of the dinner without taking into account what he thinks is at stake.
Much of the talk will focus on that last possibility. That the presence or strength of a belief depends on what is at stake, and is indeterminate otherwise, is an unusual idea, perhaps for good reason. I'll explore it, both for beliefs that are understood as categorical and for beliefs that are understood as coming in degrees. I'll also discuss a connection between the idea and certain debates regarding principles that govern rational degrees of belief (the principles of probability).

Useful Discussions on Graduate School in Philosophy

Here's a link to a discussion on going to graduate school in philosophy:

http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2008/10/thinking-about.html

Further, on this page (on Leiter Reports), there's a link to a handy
two-page pamphlet on grad school.

Conference at Washington and Jefferson (April '09)

We've received a CFP for a conference to be held at Washington and
Jefferson College in April.

The flier will be posted in the department, but essentially they're
looking for a 7-10 pp. paper on any topic. The submission deadline is
2/15/09.

This one's nice & close!

Undrgrd Conf CFP

EPISTEME, an International Journal of Undergraduate Philosophy, in
celebration of its 20th year, announces:

** AN UNDERGRADUATE PHILOSOPHY CONFERENCE **

The first Episteme Undergraduate Conference will take place at Denison
University in Granville, Ohio, on March 27th and 28th, 2009. Episteme
will consider for the conference papers written by undergraduate
students in any area of philosophy.

Papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria: quality
of research, depth of philosophical inquiry, creativity, original
insight and clarity.

Submissions to the March 2009 conference should adhere to the
following guidelines:

1. Maximum of 5,000 words.

2. Include a cover sheet with author's name, mailing address (current
and permanent), email address, telephone number, college or university
name, and submission title.

3. Include a Works Cited page in Chicago style. And please use
endnotes rather than footnotes.

4. For the purposes of blind review, please remove all references to
the author's name on the paper itself.

5. Submit papers electronically as Microsoft Word attachments to
episteme@denison.edu.

Submissions to the 2009 conference must be sent by November 14th,
2008. All papers submitted prior to November 14th, 2008, will also be
considered for publication in the 2009 journal.

Please direct all questions to the student editor, Denison senior
Megan Henricks, at episteme@denison.edu. The conference website is
at:

http://www.denison.edu/academics/departments/philosophy/episteme.html

--
Alexandra Bradner
Dept. of Philosophy, Knapp 205D
Denison University
Granville, OH 43023
740-587-5636
bradnera@denison.edu

Undrgd journal CFP

** CALL FOR UNDERGRADUATE PHILOSOPHY PAPERS, DEADLINE 11/14/08 **

Episteme, an International Journal of Undergraduate Philosophy,
announces the scheduled publication of volume XX, May 2009.

Episteme will consider papers written by undergraduate students in any
area of philosophy. Papers are evaluated according to quality of
research, depth of inquiry, creativity, original insight and clarity.

1. Maximum of 5,000 words.

2. Include a cover sheet with author's name, mailing address (current
and permanent), email address, telephone number, college or university
name, and submission title.

3. Include Works Cited page in Chicago style. And please use endnotes
rather than footnotes.

4. For the purposes of blind review, please remove all references to
the author's name on the paper itself.

5. Submit papers electronically as Microsoft Word attachments to
episteme@denison.edu.

Submissions must be postmarked by November 14, 2008.

Episteme is an annual student-run publication, founded in 1990, that
aims to recognize and encourage excellence in undergraduate philosophy
by providing students and faculty with examples of strong work.

Our September 2008 issue, which should arrive to your department
mailboxes shortly, contains the following papers:

1) "Nietzsche's Eternal Recurrence as a Psychological Test of Action,"
by Micah Douglas, University of Louisianna at Lafayette

2) "Forcing Freedom," Applying Mill's Principles of Liberty in an
International Society," by Jill Zimmerman, Tulane University

3) "Possible Worlds and Counterfactuals: Critique and Commentary on
Complicating Causation," by Roman Feiman, University of Toronto

4) "The Natural Philosophies of Descartes and Newton: A Kuhnian
Reflection," by Stephen Trochimchuk, Lakehead University

Please direct all questions to the student editor, Denison senior
Megan Henricks, at episteme@denison.edu. The journal's website is at:

http://www.denison.edu/academics/departments/philosophy/episteme.html

--
Alexandra Bradner
Dept. of Philosophy, Knapp 205D
Denison University
Granville, OH 43023
740-587-5636
bradnera@denison.edu

Fwd: Undrgd journal CFP

** CALL FOR UNDERGRADUATE PHILOSOPHY PAPERS, DEADLINE 11/14/08 **

Episteme, an International Journal of Undergraduate Philosophy,
announces the scheduled publication of volume XX, May 2009.

Episteme will consider papers written by undergraduate students in any
area of philosophy. Papers are evaluated according to quality of
research, depth of inquiry, creativity, original insight and clarity.

1. Maximum of 5,000 words.

2. Include a cover sheet with author's name, mailing address (current
and permanent), email address, telephone number, college or university
name, and submission title.

3. Include Works Cited page in Chicago style. And please use endnotes
rather than footnotes.

4. For the purposes of blind review, please remove all references to
the author's name on the paper itself.

5. Submit papers electronically as Microsoft Word attachments to
episteme@denison.edu.

Submissions must be postmarked by November 14, 2008.

Episteme is an annual student-run publication, founded in 1990, that
aims to recognize and encourage excellence in undergraduate philosophy
by providing students and faculty with examples of strong work.

Our September 2008 issue, which should arrive to your department
mailboxes shortly, contains the following papers:

1) "Nietzsche's Eternal Recurrence as a Psychological Test of Action,"
by Micah Douglas, University of Louisianna at Lafayette

2) "Forcing Freedom," Applying Mill's Principles of Liberty in an
International Society," by Jill Zimmerman, Tulane University

3) "Possible Worlds and Counterfactuals: Critique and Commentary on
Complicating Causation," by Roman Feiman, University of Toronto

4) "The Natural Philosophies of Descartes and Newton: A Kuhnian
Reflection," by Stephen Trochimchuk, Lakehead University

Please direct all questions to the student editor, Denison senior
Megan Henricks, at episteme@denison.edu. The journal's website is at:

http://www.denison.edu/academics/departments/philosophy/episteme.html

--
Alexandra Bradner
Dept. of Philosophy, Knapp 205D
Denison University
Granville, OH 43023
740-587-5636
bradnera@denison.edu

WCU CFP for Student Conference (Grad + Undergrad)

West Chester University's

4th Annual Philosophy Conference

Faith, Reason & the Between

Saturday January 24, 2009

Keynote speaker

William Desmond, PhD

Professor of Philosophy, Institute of Philosophy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

David Cook Visiting Chair in Philosophy, Villanova University

Call for Papers

December 5, 2008 – Papers Due

January 9, 2009 – Final Day to Pre-Register

Submissions will be accepted for both undergraduate and graduate sessions.

Papers can be submitted via email to wcuapc@gmail.com<mailto:wcuphilsoc@iwon.com>

All submissions must be formatted for blind review.

Please include a cover sheet in the body of the email.

Requesting faculty volunteers to act as moderators for sessions.

Please respond to WCU with your area of interest.

Any further questions can be directed to wcuapc@gmail.com<mailto:wcuphilsoc@iwon.com> Re: Spring 2009 Conference

Accommodations for individuals with disabilities are available upon request by calling the Office of Conference Services at 610-436-6931. Please make your needs known as soon as possible, but not less than one week in advance, to allow time to make the necessary arrangements.

Southeast Philosophy Congress CFP

The Second Annual Southeast Philosophy Congress invites submissions
from undergraduate and graduate students in any area of philosophy.
The Congress, hosted by Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia,
runs February 13-14, 2009, with keynote speaker Jack Zupko from Emory
University. Presented papers will be published in online and print
proceedings.

Talks should run 20 minutes, followed by a 10 minute question/answer
period. Please email papers, accompanied by a brief abstract, to Dr.
Todd Janke: ToddJanke@Clayton.edu. Submission deadline is December 15,
2008. The registration fee of $45.00 includes lunch both days and a
print copy of the proceedings.

Call For Papers: North American Undergraduate Conference in Religion and Philosophy

We have received information about an undergraduate conference on philosophy and religion, which is to be held in March at St. Francis University (Loretto, PA).

The general theme of the conference is "The Common Good," though one may submit a paper on any topic.

Dr. Hudson will have copies of the information we have, if you're interested.

Philosophy in the N.Y. Times again...

See this excellent piece on philosophy (and philosophy at Auburn, in
particular):
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/magazine/21jolley-t.html?_r=2&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all&oref=login&oref=slogin

In the interest of full disclosure, I do I know Kelly Jolley a bit...

An Undergraduate Philosophy Journal: Stance

Here's an email about an undergraduate philosophy journal. If you're
interested in the Call for Papers, I can send you a copy of the email
with the attachment. --CF

>>>>>>

Dear Colleagues,

Please find attached a Call For Papers for Vol. 2 of Stance: An
International Undergraduate Philosophy Journal. Stance is a
peer-reviewed, peer-produced, academic journal that publishes papers
by current undergraduate students.

Authors of published papers will receive a free print version of the
journal and their article will be in the Philosopher's Index. Stance
has a full digital presence: http://stance.iweb.bsu.edu. Via the
website, you can reach past issues in an open source format.

Please encourage your students with superior work to submit a paper.
Also, please distribute this CFP widely.

I will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Cassandra Reed
Editor-in-Chief
stance@bsu.edu

Call For Papers

Stance
An International Undergraduate Philosophy Journal

Submission Guidelines:
Stance welcomes papers concerning any philosophical topic. Current
undergraduates may submit papers between 1500 and 3500 words in length
(exclusive of notes and bibliography). Papers should avoid unnecessary
technicality and strive to be accessible to the widest possible
audience without sacrificing clarity or rigor. They are evaluated on
the following criteria: depth of inquiry, quality of research,
creativity, lucidity, and originality. For more specific guidelines
see the website at http://stance.iweb.bsu.edu.

Submission Procedures:
• Manuscripts should be in Microsoft Word format and sent as an
attachment to stance@bsu.edu
• Manuscripts should be double spaced (including quotations, excerpts,
and footnotes)
• The right margin should not be justified
• To facilitate our anonymous review process, submissions are to be
prepared for blind review. Include a cover page with the author's
name, affiliation, title, and email address. Papers, including
footnotes, should have no other identifying markers.
• Footnotes should use the author-date format found in The Chicago
Manual of Style.
• Please use American spellings and punctuation, except when directly
quoting a source that has followed British style.

VISIT STANCE ON THE WEB AT HTTP://STANCE.IWEB.BSU.EDU/

Deadline: Friday, December 19, 2008

Call for External Reviewers

Stance: An International Undergraduate Philosophy Journal

Stance is looking for interested undergraduate philosophy students to
serve as external reviewers for this year's issue. This is an exciting
opportunity to gain experience working for a groundbreaking journal in
the field of philosophy, as well as a chance to hone your skills in
writing and reviewing philosophy papers.

Participation in this project will require a moderate level of
experience in philosophy, strengths in writing and editing, as well as
a sufficient degree of self-motivation necessary to complete the work
by the given deadlines. We anticipate that each external reviewer will
be sent one or two papers to review in late December or early January.
It is possible that a reviewer will be asked to review one or two
further submissions later in the spring if a particular piece requires
further consideration. If accepted as an external reviewer, training
material will be provided that will explain what is expected in the
formal review. Reviewers will also be credited in both the print and
electronic versions of the journal.

If you are interested, please provide us with the following information:

Name:
Name of School:
Year in School:
Major(s)/Minor(s):
Philosophy Courses Taken:

Your specialty, or concentration

What experience do you have that would qualify you for this project?

What goals do you have that working on Stance will support?

What, in your opinion, are the makings of a good philosophy paper?

Along with this application, we have provided a further application
form to serve as a letter of recommendation from a philosophy
professor with whom you have worked. Please have both items returned
to us by e-mail at STANCE@bsu.edu or by mail at:

Stance
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana 47306-0500

Postmarked By: November 3

Thank you for your interest. We look forward to working with you.

Grammar

A poem on the vicissitudes of grammar, sent to us courtesy of our very
own Joel Press:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/apr/30/featuresreviews.guardianreview8

(Grammar is somewhat related to philosophical concerns--or at least, it can be.)

Some Background Reading

For the new semester, some philosophical background reading:

http://www.philosophersnet.com/magazine/article.php?id=1045

Philosophy & the Olympics: Win or lose, Nethercott is philosophical - Times Online

As the Olympics wind down & the academic year is ready to begin,
here's another philosophy degree in action:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article1050487.ece

See you soon.

(Again, thanks are due to Gary Smith.)

NPR Applauds Philosophy

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93192093

...and I guess we applaud them.

More philosophical humor

In case you've not seen this before:

http://www.philosophicallexicon.com/

Ah, philosophical humor.

Philosophy and Film (?) - "Evolving Thoughts: The Dark Knight"

Here's a discussion of the latest Batman movie, sent to us by Emeritus
Correspondent Gary Smith:

http://scienceblogs.com/evolvingthoughts/2008/07/the_dark_knight.php

(Since I haven't yet seen the movie, I can't vouch for the discussion.)

Philosophy in the Summer? Sure!

If the freedom of summer also brings an absence of philosophy to your
life, and if this is displeasing to you, then here are two potential
cures:

"Philosophy Bites" (a series of short interviews with various
philosophers on various topics)

http://philosophybites.libsyn.com/

-and-

"Philosophy Talk" (an actual philosophy radio show)

http://www.philosophytalk.org/

Philosophers and "big events"

Here's a rather varied sampling of tidbits from ten well-known
philosophers talking about "the response of philosophy to big events":

http://blog.talkingphilosophy.com/?p=296

(from Talking Philosophy - The Philosophers' Magazine Blog)

A Collection of Philosophy Majors

Gary Smith found this site, which relates to one of our recurring themes here:

http://www.mcdaniel.edu/5615.htm

Another Take on the Value of Philosophy Classes

Lots of people think philosophy courses have value, but not all agree on why.

Here's one view that differs a good deal from recent articles we've seen:
http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/stubblefield/wb/165122

Who was a philosophy major?

--Some people you might not expect:

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/63180.html

Hope your summer's starting off well!

More on Philosophy Majors...

Yet another article on majoring in philosophy-- This one's from
Boston University's *Daily Free Press* (a student paper, by the way,
which I used to read quite frequently...).

http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2008/04/18/News/Proponents.Say.You.Can.Do.A.Lot.With.B.a.In.Philosophy-3335294.shtml

Maybe it's possible that the public perception of majoring in
philosophy could change.

Philosophy of Sport

This might be of interest to some of you:

==============================================================================

A new blog, Philosophy of Sport, has just been launched.

http://philosophyandsports.blogspot.com/
<http://philosophyandsports.blogspot.com/>

With an international group of contributors including both
established and newer scholars in the field, the aim is to promote an
international discussion of the philosophical dimensions of sport
among scholars and others interested in this area
of philosophy. We encourage you to read the blog, post comments, and
direct your students to this forum. Thanks.

Mike Austin
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Case Annex 268
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY 40475

Morality and the Good Life <http://arunningabout.blogspot.com/>

Philosophy of Sport <http://philosophyandsports.blogspot.com/>

My EKU Homepage <https://owa.eku.edu/owa/people.eku.edu/Austinm/default.html>

==============================================================================

The Philosophy Major: Useful!

Here's another relatively recent article on why "philosophy graduates are suddenly all the rage with employers":

http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,2213665,00.html

(from The Guardian)

The Philosophy Major: Popular?

See this article, from the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/education/06philosophy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

(...and you may refer to it, when you're asked why you're taking all
of these philosophy classes.)

Philosophy 470: Philosophy of Biology

In Fall '08, Dr. Press will be offering Phi 470: Philosophy of Biology. Here is a flier for the course:
(Click on the image of the flier to enlarge it. Note: this course will be offered in the Fall, though the flier says "Spring".)

Email Dr. Press (press (at) cup.edu) for more information.

Course Listings for Fall 2008

Just in case you haven't yet seen them, the Fall 2008 courses are now up on the Philosophy Department's webpage. (http://www.cup.edu/liberalarts/philosophy/index.jsp)

Call for Applications - The Mantle of the Prophet: Demons, Saints and Terrorists - Berlin Summer Sch

Here's a summer school program that sounds very interesting:

International Summer University 2008

Topic: The Mantle of the Prophet: Demons, Saints and Terrorists

July 7th to August 15th 2008

ECLA's International Summer University has existed since 2000 and is a
unique intellectual adventure that takes place for six weeks in July
and August of each year. The programme offers a possibility for
students, who are serious about their education to discuss problems
concerning politics, morality, art and knowledge. The dialogue is
pursued in the classroom – through the close study of texts and works
of art that have shaped or seek to shape the values we live by – and
beyond the classroom, over lunch in the cafeteria, for example, or in
a Berlin café after a play. The small seminar groups, the weekly
essays, the individual attention in one-to-one tutorials, and the
close-knit international community of students and faculty, who live
on campus throughout the programme, provide the framework for the joy
of this unusual academic experience.

The themes of the 2008 ISU are taken from Dostoyevsky's novel The
Demons. During a six week programme, students and faculty will explore
some of the numerous moral, religious, and political implications of
this book: the historical and metaphysical roots of terrorism, its
various embodiments from state terror to individual violence and, more
generally, the 'death of God', the 'deification of man', nihilism and
existentialism. Along with The Demons, students will study and discuss
a variety of philosophical, literary, and historical texts, including
Camus' The Stranger, Pascal's The Provincial Letters, Nechaev's
Catechism of a Revolutionary, Diderot's The Nun, Schopenhauer's
Dialogue on Religion, and Plato's Gorgias. Films and museum visits
will complement the readings.

Dates: July 7th to August 15th 2008

Location: ECLA Campus in Berlin, Germany

Title: The Mantle of the Prophet: Demons, Saints and Terrorists

Application Deadline: April 10th 2008

Costs: ECLA charges a comprehensive fee of 4500 Euros for the ISU programme.

This fee covers tuition, campus accommodation and meals, books (on
loan) and reading materials, class excursions, emergency medical
insurance and public transportation within Berlin.

Financial Aid: Need-based financial aid is available to successful
applicants who demonstrate financial need.

Further information: Please check the ECLA website www.ecla.de or contact the

Admissions Office at admissions@ecla.de

To learn more about ISU 2008, please visit:

http://www.ecla. de/academics/isu

***************************************
Costica Bradatan, PhD
Assistant Professor

Texas Tech University
The Honors College
PO Box 41017
Lubbock, TX 79409

Senior Editor, Janus Head
http://www.janushead.org

http://www.webpages.ttu.edu/cbradata

***************************************

________________________________
Climb to the top of the charts! Play the word scramble challenge with
star power. Play now!

A Brief History of Philosophy in Verse

Some more entertainment* from Gary Smith:

 

 

( * Philosophy-entertainment is usually of the sort such that you shouldn't share it with the uninitiated.)

 

THE HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY

BY TIMOTHY L. S. SPRIGGE

March 5, 2003

1. There once was a thinker called Plato
Who said "this our world's second rate-oh,
Its just a poor copy
Of something less sloppy
Where all is precise and first rate-oh".

2. That crafty old man Aristotle
Took his friends to look at a bottle
Saying "its causes are four,
No less and no more,
Glass, shape, vintner and drinking full throttle".

3. A French soldier known as Descartes
Said "I hope that you've taken to heart
That without a safe line
To something divine,
Each is stuck at his self engrossed start."

4. There once was a tutor called Locke
Who said that the self's like a sock
Though the wool is quite new
It's still really you
Because its been darned without shock.

1

---

5. That skilful lens grinder Baruch
Said "nothing can happen by fluke
For nothing is free
From Nature's decree,
Free will is just gobledy gook".

6. That worldly wise Gottfried Leibniz
Had most of the angels in fits
When he said "your external relations
Are just private sensations
From one monad to 'tother nowt flits".

7. There once was a vicar called Berkeley
Who said to his friends somewhat darkly
"This whole vale of tears
Is nowt but ideas"
That astonishing vicar called Berkeley.

8. That somewhat stout Scot David Hume
Said "this cosmos of ours has no room
For forces or powers
Its just hours and hours
Of impressions, then ideas, till the tomb".

2

---

9. That punctilious pedestrian Kant
Said the realness of ought I must grant
As for time and for space
You may laugh in my face
But call them genuinely real I just shan't.

10. That rather unnerving chap Hegel
Tried us all to the view to inveigle
That pure Nothing and Being
Far from not agreeing
In becoming are playboy and playgirl.

11. That gloomy old Sage Schopenhauer
Said "there's much more nettle than flower"
Nothing more he reviled
Than the person who smiled
And grieved not at the Cosmic Will's power.

12. That sad fellow Friedrich Nietzsche
Was once a fine classical teacher
Till a voice in his head
Told him God was now dead -
This became of his thought the chief feature.

3

---

13. Shall I marry her? asked Kierkegaard
I love her but Christ surely more
He sought mediation
To end hesitation
But God called out NO: - EITHER/OR.

14. That temperate man T. H. Green
Said "There's something divine but unseen
Which spins the relations
Which make our sensations.
A real world, if you see what I mean".

15. Said that soldierly mystic called Bradley
"Please don't take my system too sadly
Its really quite fun
Thinking everything's One
We should all feel unreal very gladly".

16. The Hegelian inclined Bosanquet
Said "its really, you know, rather wet
To expect each finite chappy
To be well fed and happy
For the Absolute ain't in our debt".

4

---

17. That most honest of thinkers McTaggart
Although very far from a braggart
Felt some pride in his proof
That time was a spoof
Which could never take in a McTaggart.

18. William James declared that the true
Is the thought which works best for you
And it works through its dealing
With those streams of pure feeling
Known as matter, mind, (and God too)

19. Martin Heidegger said don't repine
If you don't quite catch what's my line
You don't need much German
To follow my sermon
As long as you know the word Sein.

20. A man in a cafe called Sartre
Gave the other chaps there quite a start
By looking around
For someone not to be found
But whose absence still haunted Montmartre ¹.

¹ The demands of rhyme forced me to move Sartre from his more usual haunt of Montparnasse


.

5

---

21. A weirdo yclept Wittgenstein
Called out this whole world is "just mine"
But later he noted
That an ego so bloated
Had no room for mine or for thine.

22. A man from Ohio now dead³
Would lurk in the fields, so it is said,
So that when others screamed "rabbit"
He could indulge in his habit
Of shouting "Gavagai" instead.

23. A brain in a vat called Putnam
Said "perhaps this whole world's just a scam
Still, my thoughts must refer
To their causes out there
What they are I don't care a damn."

³This was written and recited to the Edinburgh Philosophy Department just after Quine's death. So it may become undated (I mean, because his death will no longer be something special.)

6

---

24. The truth of all this it seems plain
Is that philosophy would indeed be in vain
If its aim were a view
So objectively true
It will not be discarded again

25. But cheer yourselves up my good friends
Though its true that the search never ends
We may each in our day
Have our personal say
And feel free to ignore current trends.

7

---

Undergraduate/graduate conference CFP

LSU Philosophy Conference

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Graduate Students of Louisiana State University's Philosophy
Department invite submissions for our First Annual Philosophy
Conference.  Papers in any area of Philosophy are welcome, from any
philosophical tradition; submissions from graduate and undergraduate
students will be considered.  The conference will be held April 11-12,
2008, on the Baton Rouge campus of LSU.

Please submit papers as an attachment to an email, with 'submission'
in the subject line, in .pdf or .doc format to:
LSUphilosophy@gmail.com

Submission deadline:  March 13, 2008

We are pleased to announce that François Raffoul will deliver our
keynote address, entitled:  "The Question of Ethics in 20th Century
Continental Philosophy"

Presentations are limited to 30 minutes, so papers should be no more
than 15 pages, and should be suitable for blind review--with no
identifying information on the pages of text.  Please include a
detachable cover sheet with your name, a 250 word paper abstract,
university affiliation, and email address.

The conference organizers will arrange accommodations for presenters
in the homes of graduate students.

Questions?  Write us at LSUphilosophy@gmail.com

Undergraduate Conference CFP

Fourth Annual
New England Undergraduate
Philosophy Conference
At Providence College

Saturday, April 19, 2008
9 AM--5PM



CALL FOR PAPERS


Undergraduate students are encouraged to submit philosophy papers on
any topic or figure.  Papers should be approximately  8-15 pages,
typed, double-spaced and prepared for blind review.   A cover sheet
with the student's name, email address, institution, and paper title
should be included with the paper. An abstract of no more than 150
words should also be included on the cover sheet.

Papers should be submitted electronically in either Microsoft Word or
Rich Text Formats to Dr. Peter Costello and Dr. Christopher Arroyo at
the following address: phlclub@providence.edu

Deadline for Submissions: March 19, 2008

For more information or to volunteer to serve as a commentator or
moderator, please phone Dr. Peter Costello at 401-865-2188,  Dr.
Christopher Arroyo at 401-865-2235, or contact student organizer
Michael Bonnell mbonne08@providence.edu

A Comical Warning About Graduate School and Life

From former Cal philosophy professor Gary Smith:

 

(Keep clicking on the image to enlarge it)

http://www.futurama-area.de/LiH/OComics/16.gif

I wish I could say that this was an exaggeration.

M.S. Program in Bioethics

(In the ongoing effort to help you answer the question, "What will you do with a major in philosophy?"...)

We have received some information from Union College (N.Y.) pertaining to their master's program in bioethics. If you're potentially interested in pursuing such a degree, you might want to have a look at the materials we have.

Kaplan Holding Free Practice Tests

Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions will be holding Free Practice Tests at the University of Pittsburgh on Saturday, February 9th. This is a great opportunity for students to see real test-like questions in a proctored setting. They will be offering the following tests: MCAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, DAT, OAT, and PCAT.

Students interested in attending this free practice test event are encouraged to sign up in advance, as space is limited. They may reserve a seat by calling 1-800-KAP-TEST or online at www.kaptest.com/practice.
Thank you!

SSHE IAPRS conference call for papers

Here is a message from the organizer of the PASSHE Philosophy and Religion conference, which is being held at Indiana University of Pennsylvania this year. Papers should be 8-12 pages, to be read in 15-20 minutes. There are even prizes available. If you're interested in attending, see me for the flier and other information.

The twenty-first annual conference of the PA SSHE Interdisciplinary Association for Philosophy and Religious Studies will be held at IUP on April 11-12, 2008. The keynote speaker for the conference will be Jerry Massey from the University of Pittsburgh. The call for papers, which I sent earlier this year, is attached. The deadline is March 1, 2008. You will receive a hard copy of this message and the call for papers by snail mail in a week or so.

A block of rooms has been reserved for the conference at the Indiana Best Western Motel.

Indiana Best Western Motel
1545 Wayne Ave
Indiana, PA 15701
(724) 254-2471

Rooms there will cost $ 51.94 per room per night. For students, there is no registration fee, and the cost of their hotel rooms and will be covered by the association.

For those who are interested, other local hotels and Bed and Breakfasts include:

Holiday Inn
1395 Wayne Avenue
Indiana, PA 15701
724-462-3561
$129.00 per night – single

Comfort Inn
1350 Indian Springs Road
Indiana, PA 15701
724-465-7000
$98.96 + tax - single

Putt'r Sleep Inn (on the golf course)
515 Hamil Road
Indiana, PA 15701
724-465-7446
$60.00 - single or double w/private bath

Brickhaven Bed & Breakfast
923 Church Street
Indiana, PA 15701
724-463-8005
$95.00 + tax per night small room private bath
$115.00 + tax per night larger room with jacuzzi and private bath

Heritage House
209 South Sixth Street
Indiana, PA 15701
724-463-3430
(most expensive on this list)

Scotts Motel
1411 Wayne Ave
Indiana, PA 15701
(724) 465-5571
(least expensive on this list)

.......

If you have questions, you may email me at caraway@iup.edu<mailto:caraway@iup.edu>. I hope to see you at the conference.

Regards,

Professor Carol Caraway
PA SSHE IAPRS President

attachment: Call for papers

Philosophical funnies

The link below contains silly philosophy related stuff. It should, therefore, only be shared with those inclined toward philosophy; it will only confirm non-philosophers' impressions of you...

http://homepages.nyu.edu/~iav202/powers/powers.html

Undergraduate Conference CFP

....

Call for Papers

March 15, 2008

The 1st Annual Symposium at Scarborough

An undergraduate philosophy conference hosted by the Philosophy Club
at the University of Toronto at Scarborough

Keynote Speaker: Diana Raffman, University of Toronto
Conference Location: University of Toronto at Scarborough (UTSC)

The Philosophy Club at the University of Toronto Scarborough invites
submission of high quality papers in any area of philosophy for the
inaugural Symposium at Scarborough, an undergraduate philosophy
conference. Papers should be approximately 2000-3000 words, suitable
for presentation in 20 minutes, and accessible to philosophy students
at the undergraduate level. Each paper will be commented on by a UTSC
undergraduate, and there will be an opportunity for general
discussion.

Please submit papers in pdf or rtf format to
utsc.philosophy@gmail.com.  Papers should be prepared for blind
review, with no identifying information in the paper itself. A cover
sheet, attached as a separate file, should contain author name, paper
title, address, school affiliation, email, phone number, word count,
and abstract of approximately 125 words.

We hope to be able to help defray travel expenses for presenters from
outside the Greater Toronto Area.

Submissions deadline: February 5.

WVU Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, call for papers

Here's a nearby undergraduate conference, at WVU. From the call for papers (which is available from me if you send me an email):

Requirements: Each submission should include a 100 to 150 word abstract. Papers should be no more than 10 pages double-spaced. Please include a cover page with the paper's title, author's name, mailing address, e-mail, phone number, school affiliation, and word count. Please do not put any self-identifying information in the body of the paper because the papers will be sorted for blind review.

Message:

From: Allison Marie Lastinger [mailto:wvuphilconference@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 2:06 PM
Subject: WVU Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, call for papers

Hello,

The West Virginia University philosophy department will be hosting its second annual undergraduate philosophy conference April 4-5. Find attached the call for papers/announcement.

Undergraduates are asked to submit a paper on ANY topic in philosophy to wvuphilconference@gmail.com<mailto:wvuphilconference@gmail.com> by Feb. 15th.

Thank you,
Justin Snedegar, Conference Organization team

Undergraduate Conference Final CFP

SOUTHEAST PHILOSOPHY CONFERENCE AT CLAYTON STATE

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS


CLAYTON STATE UNIVERSITY

FEBRUARY 16, 2008


CALL FOR PAPERS


The inaugural meeting of the Southeast Philosophy Conference is scheduled for Saturday, February 16, 2008, at Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia.  Papers in any area are welcome.  There will be a $15 registration fee, payable at the conference.


Submissions must not exceed a length of 3000 words, and must include a cover letter stating the paper's title, author's name, university or college, mailing and email addresses, and telephone number.  Either email submissions to toddjanke@clayton.edu<mailto:toddjanke@clayton.edu> or send two printed copies to:


Southeast Philosophy Conference
                       Department of Communicative Arts & Integrative Studies
                       Clayton State University
                       Morrow, Georgia  30260


Papers must be received by January 28, 2008.  Notification of acceptance will be made via email by February 4, 2008.  Papers will be published in a Proceedings of the Conference.



Contact for questions: toddjanke@clayton.edu<mailto:toddjanke@clayton.edu>

Colorado Summer Seminar for Undergraduates

This looks like a great idea for any of you considering graduate school.  Participating in this kind of summer seminar would look very good on one's CV (resume), and it would probably be a lot of fun (well, philosophy-fun--which is as close to the real thing as anything gets).

For the ninth summer running, CU/Boulder will hold a three-week
intensive seminar for undergraduates considering graduate school in
philosophy. This summer's (rather broad) topic is Big Ideas in the
History of Philosophy. For more information, go to
http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/outreach_summer_seminar.shtml

or consult the details below.

----------------------------

*Colorado Summer Seminar in Philosophy* July 14th - Aug. 1st, 2008

The seminar is intended for outstanding undergraduates who are
considering graduate school in philosophy. The aim is to introduce
students to the atmosphere of a graduate-level seminar, giving them a
chance to explore their philosophical abilities and interests before
they commit to a graduate program.

In addition to offering the experience of a graduate seminar, we hope
participants will benefit from meeting other students with similar
interests and from interacting with prominent faculty in the field.
Seminars in previous summers have attracted students from all over the
country and abroad. All kinds of schools have been represented, from
prestigious to liberal arts colleges to major research universities. We
especially encourage applications from students who do not have the
opportunity to take high-level courses at their own institution, and
from students coming from institutions with modest reputations in the
philosophical community.

The class size will be 15-20. The course will be highly  intensive,
meeting five times a week for three weeks, for three hours a
day. The readings will be dense and difficult, and students will be
expected to participate extensively. Several papers will be required.
Applicants should have done substantial work in philosophy, including
exposure to contemporary analytic methods. Preference will be given to
students who have not yet applied to graduate programs.

Successful participants will receive three credit hours at the graduate
level, which may be applied either to undergraduate or to future
graduate study.

*Topic for 2008: Big Ideas in the History of Philosophy*

The topic of the Seminar changes every summer. In 2008, the Seminar's
topic will range widely over some of the most important ideas from the
history of philosophy. Likely topics include:

    * Ancient skepticism
    * Plato's Forms
    * Aristotelian hylomorphism
    * Cartesian substances
    * The analytic-synthetic distinction
    * Hedonism

and much, much more…..




*Summer in Colorado*

The seminar will take place on the campus of the University of Colorado
at Boulder. Located at the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, 25 miles
northwest of Denver, Boulder is perhaps the most attractive college
setting in the country. Participants will be encouraged to explore the
city of Boulder and the nearby mountains. Weekend outings will be organized.




*Participating Faculty*

The seminar will be jointly taught by the faculty of the Department of
Philosophy, with various guests. Scheduled participants include:

    * Dominic Bailey (Cambridge, Ph.D. 2004)
    * Robert Hanna (Yale, Ph.D. 1989)
    * Chris Heathwood (UMass, Ph.D. 2005)
    * Dan Kaufman (UMass, Ph.D. 2000)
    * Kathrin Koslicki (MIT, Ph.D. 1995)
    * Mitzi Lee (Harvard, Ph.D . 1996)
    * Robert Pasnau (Cornell, Ph.D. 1994)
    * Michael Tooley (Princeton, Ph.D. 1968)

along with

    * Rebecca Copenhaver, visiting from Lewis and Clark College
    * Christina van Dyke, visiting from Calvin College



*Tuition and Housing*

Tuition: $750

Housing: approximately $400




*Applications*


There is no application form.

Applicants should collect the following:


1. A cover letter including your name, mailing address, email
address, and an account of who you are and why you are interested in the
program.

2. A letter of recommendation from  someone who has taught you
philosophy.

3. A copy of your college transcript. (Unofficial copies are fine.)

Mail this information to

Summer Seminar
Department of Philosophy
University of Colorado
232 UCB
Boulder, CO  80309-0232


To receive full consideration, applications should be received by April
1st. Decisions will be made within a month.

For more information, contact Robert Pasnau: pasnau@colorado.edu
<mailto:pasnau@colorado.edu>

Princeton Review Free LSAT

Here's a message forwarded to us by the office of Career Services. Anyone thinking of law school might want to take advantage of this opportunity:

Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 2:46 PM
Subject: Princeton Review Free LSAT

Dear Students and Counselors -
Welcome back! I hope you had a great holiday season - and Happy New Year!!!

I just wanted to let you know about a free LSAT which we will be running this month. The Princeton Review will be offering the test on January 26th along with a free strategy session. You will received a detailed score report within a few days of the event which will display your strengths and weaknesses, as well as some LSAT tips from an expert instructor.

However, spaces are limited and you must register to attend!!! Please call 412-687-4880 to register or visit us online at www.princetonreview.com. Click on "LSAT", under "Sit in on a Strategy Session" click "Find a Free Event Near You". We hope to see you there!

Saturday, January 26
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
The University of Pittsburgh
Cathedral of Learning room 339

Amy Lynn Abel | Director of Operations
The Princeton Review - Pittsburgh
201 S. Craig St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213
ph. 412-687-4880 | f. 412-687-4886

Final CFP - Intermountain West Student Philosophy Conference - University of Utah

Final Call for Papers

 

The University of Utah Department of Philosophy is pleased to announce the final call for papers for its Fifth Annual Intermountain West Student Philosophy Conference ('IWSPC') .  The conference will be held in and around the Department of Philosophy from March 27^th through March 29th, 2008.   

 

Keynote Speaker

Nadeem Hussain

 (Stanford University)

 

Paper Submission Deadline

January 31, 2008

 

The conference invites papers on topics in all areas in philosophy.  Papers should be no longer than 3,500 words and suitable for blind review.   Submissions should include the following information on a separate cover sheet in a separate file: 

[1] Presentation title;
[2] Abstract of no more than 100 words;
[3] Word count;
[4] Author's name;
[5] Academic status (Graduate or undergraduate student);
[6] Institutional affiliation;
[7] Mailing address;
[8] Email address;
[9] Telephone number; and
[10] Philosophical category of your paper.

Paper Submission Procedures: Submissions that fail to include all of the above items will be dismissed.  No more than one submission per author will be considered. Authors should email their submission as an attachment in Word (.doc) or (.pdf) format to iwspc08@gmail.com. Users of Microsoft Word 2007 should note that the default save is in (.docx) not (.doc) and therefore should save their paper in the proper format.  

For more information about accommodations and conference activities, please visit our web site at

http://www.hum.utah.edu/philosophy

…follow the 'news & events' and 'conferences' links. 

For any other questions, please contact Jamie Hardy at iwspc08@gmail.com

We hope to see you there! 

 

Call for papers

CALL FOR PAPERS
12TH ANNUAL PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
UNDERGRADUATE PHILOSOPHY CONFERENCE

April 18-19, 2008
Pacific University
Forest Grove, Oregon

Keynote speaker: Jerry Fodor (Rutgers University)

The 12th annual Pacific University Undergraduate Philosophy Conference will
be held April 18-19, 2008 on the campus of Pacific University, in Forest
Grove, Oregon.  The purpose of this conference is to provide a forum for the
presentation of philosophical work of undergraduates to their peers.  Papers
are required to be of philosophical content, but there are no specific
restrictions on subject matter within the arena of philosophical discussion
itself.  Papers should be approximately 3000 words (10-12 pages).

Electronic submissions, including paper and abstract (Word documents), are
preferred and can be sent to: boersema@pacificu.edu

Hard copy submissions are also welcome.  In this case, please send two
copies of paper and abstract to: David Boersema, Department of Philosophy,
Pacific University, Forest Grove OR 97116.  (Phone: 503 352 2150; fax: 503
352 2242.)  Group papers and suggestions for panel discussions are also
welcome.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 1, 2008.  Final decisions will be made by
February 28, 2008.

Volunteers for paper commentators are also welcome.

This year's keynote speaker at the conference banquet is Jerry Fodor from
Rutgers University.

The conference schedule will be as follows:
FRIDAY, APRIL 18:
Conference banquet 6:30-8:00pm;
Keynote talk 8:00-9:00pm.
SATURDAY, APRIL 19:
Breakfast 7:00-8:00am;
Paper sessions 8:00-1:00;
Conference luncheon 1:00-2:00;
Paper sessions 2:00-6:00.

Travel and lodging information can be found by going to the conference web
site at http://www.pacificu.edu/as/philosophy/conference/index.cfm

Registration costs: $30, payable at the conference.  Three meals will be
provided: Friday night banquet, Saturday breakfast and lunch.


For further information, contact Professor Boersema at boersema@pacificu.edu

Call For Papers

Ist Annual Appalachian Regional Student Philosophy Colloguium
East Tennessee State University

March 21, 2008

Keynote Speaker: Kent Staley (Saint Louis University)

Paper are now being accepted for both undergraduate and graduate
presentations.  All papers will be evaluated by blind review process.
At the conference, the Keynote speaker will choose the best
presentation from the undergraduate and graduate categories, awarding
a $50 prize for each.

Deadline: Feb. 8, 2008

Send submissions to
etsuphilosophyclub@gmail.com
or
allenmp@etsu.edu