ChatGPT claims to have the answers to some of the most vexing philosophical questions in human history, but does it really? Channel your inner Diogenes and step up to the challenge of guarding philosophy and driving away the AI threat by criticizing its responses to such questions as "what is the essence of a table?" and "should we sacrifice one to save the many?" Ready to throw down? Join us on Friday, 3/3 at 4-5PM in 5 Washington Pl, Room 302. Additionally, we will be hosting a book swap, so bring any of the philosophical works thinkers and scholars have devoted their lives to which you now own and would like to trade off or simply give away. And yes, there will be free snacks too.

The NYU Philosophy Forum is excited to share that we will be hosting an honors program student panel this Friday the 17th at 4-5 PM in the Silver Center, Room 206. This is the perfect opportunity to find out more about the work that some of our senior philosophy majors have done, and to learn about the process of writing a thesis.

The panel will consist of 4 students from the senior class who have successfully completed the honors program. Each panelist will give a short summary of their thesis and their experience developing it, and then our moderators will ask questions before opening the floor to the audience. We hope to see you there!

How should we think about homelessness? How should we conceive of it in relation to a value like freedom? How should we act in response to it on consideration of concepts like community? These are some of the questions that Professor Jeremy Waldron confronts in two landmark works in legal and political philosophy, “Homelessness and the Issue of Freedom,” and “Homelessness and Community”. Professor Waldron argues that, unlike the traditional view that on abstract liberal principles alone there is no reason to be troubled by the plight of the homeless, homelessness is in fact a matter of the utmost concern in relation to some of the most fundamental principles of liberal value. For our final meeting of the semester, we are pleased to be welcoming Professor Waldron to discuss this important and relevant subject with us and answer any questions we may have regarding it. Jeremy Waldron is one of the world’s leading legal and political philosophers, and he is University Professor here at NYU Law.

Here are the two relevant papers that you may look over ahead of time: Homelessness and the Issue of Freedom; Homelessness and Community; as well as a relevant episode of the philosophy podcast, Hi-Phi Nation, which includes a discussion of some the ideas found in the two works (recommended if you do not have the time to read the papers).

UPDATE: Due to new developments announced by NYU administration, the meeting will now be held online at our usual Zoom meeting room: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2968142250?pwd=d0RpSWJMNXZSdjZNaFpiMEtpS0pMQT09

On November 11, we have the pleasure of welcoming two high school philosophy teachers, Ms. Ariel Sykes of Kent Place School, and Mr. Alejandro Marx of High School for Environmental Studies. They will be participating in a panel discussion on what it’s like to teach philosophy in schools as a career, and how you would go about doing it. Philosophy education is experiencing a rise in schools across the country, with many students participating in philosophy events such as Ethics Bowl and Philosophy Olympiad, and more and more are schools incorporating philosophy into their curriculums. Ms. Sykes will bring the perspective of someone who teaches philosophy at an independent (private) school, whereas Mr. Marx will be doing the same for teaching at a public school. We very much hope that you will join us to learn more about this avenue into a career in philosophy!

The event will be held on Zoom from 7-8 PM ET on November 11.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2968142250?pwd=d0RpSWJMNXZSdjZNaFpiMEtpS0pMQT09

Our next meeting this Thursday will be from 6:30 to 8 PM in Room 202 of the philosophy building (5 Washington Pl). Our guest will be Professor Jane Friedman, who will be giving a talk on a few perplexing paradoxes in epistemology titled “The Lottery and the Preface: Puzzles in Epistemology,” which will be followed by a Q&A session. Jane Friedman is Associate Professor of Philosophy here at NYU, and her area of expertise is in epistemology broadly. We are very excited and so privileged to be having her provide us some insight into some of the perennial problems in her field. Hope to see you there!

Our guest for this week’s meeting will be Professor Leif Weatherby, who will be giving a talk titled “Poetic Metaphysics: Early German Romanticism After Kant,” which will be followed by a Q&A session. Leif Weatherby is Associate Professor of German here at NYU, and his research focuses on Romanticism and Idealism, digital theory, and political economy. The subject of his upcoming talk, early German Romanticism, was an intellectual movement which was preeminent in the German-speaking world from the late 18th century to the early 19th. The movement had a huge influence on intellectual and cultural history, with such figures as Hegel, Fichte, Schubert, and Wagner being directly inspired by it. We'll be focusing specifically on its metaphysics, which was derived from the early romantics' understanding of Kant and the natural sciences. At our meeting, we’ll have a great opportunity to learn more about this significant movement in philosophy and culture at large from an expert in the field. Hope to see you there!

For our meeting this coming Thursday, October 7th, we are so excited to be welcoming Professor Dale Jamieson as our guest speaker. He will be giving a talk titled “On the Intersection of Environmental and Animal Protection,” which will be followed by a Q&A discussion. The event will be from 7-8 PM, and the location will be the main seminar room on the second floor of the philosophy building. For a brief introduction of our guest, Dale Jamieson is Professor of Environmental Studies and Philosophy as well as Director of the Center for Environmental and Animal Protection here at NYU. He has been enormously influential in the field of environmental and animal ethics, and we are so privileged to have the opportunity to hear him speak on such an important and relevant topic, especially seeing as we are in the midst of an unprecedented anthropogenic climate crisis. We hope to see you there!

For our meeting this Thursday, September 23, which will be from 7-8 PM at the 6th floor lounge of the philosophy building (5 Washington Pl), we will be hosting a seminar on the preface and section A of Karl Marx’s The German Ideology. We are honored to have Daniel Brinkerhoff Young joining us as a specialist in the subject to discuss with us the many influential ideas found in the brief excerpt, which you can find here: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/german-ideology/ch01.htm (please read the preface and section A). Daniel is a final year Ph.D. student in philosophy here at NYU, and he has written his dissertation on social alienation, utilizing a novel reading of Marx (and Fanon) to analyze and understand the phenomenon. As this meeting will be a seminar, we highly encourage everyone to read the excerpt so that we may all have a more fruitful dialogue. Of course, the reading is not required, so even if you do not have the time to finish it, we encourage you to come learn more about this important work of Marx’s philosophy.

For our first event of the semester, we will be hosting a philosophy book swap this Friday, Sep 10, from 1-2 PM ET. The location will be at the Sasaki Garden in the middle of Washington Square Village, just south of Bobst Library and the Stern Buildings (address is 4 Washington Square Village). Bring any philosophy or philosophy-related books you may be interested in trading with others, as well as any cool philosophy books you may just want to show off or give away! If you don’t have any books to bring, that is totally fine too, just join us to get to know your fellow club members and talk about philosophy, classes, life, whatever! The weather’s gonna be great, and there will be free vegan pizza provided. We are looking forward to seeing everyone there!

NYU Grad students recently went on a strike demanding better pay, health care benefits, and etc. Chapters of the United Auto Workers (UAW) at Harvard and Columbia similarly went on a strike in the past year for similar reasons. There were disputes over unionization and a following strike at UChicago in 2019. 

Labor ethics is a realm of study in which philosophy, politics, and economics intersect. Some argue that unionization and strike are essential for the workers’ welfare. Others argue that they should be regulated as the costs are bigger than the benefits. Are strikes and unionization morally justifiable? If, so why?  

In collaboration with UChicago Women in Philosophy and The Skeptics Society at UChicago, we invited two graduate students from NYU and UChicago, Evan Behrle and Stephen Cunniff, to address the aforementioned questions. We welcome everyone who is interested in this topic to come debate with us.

Join us on Wednesday, May 5 from 7:00 to 8:00 PM ET

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2968142250?pwd=d0RpSWJMNXZSdjZNaFpiMEtpS0pMQT09

Zoom ID: 296 814 2250, Passcode: 43grx8

Anja Jauernig (Ph.D., Princeton), is an Associate Professor of Philosophy in the philosophy department at New York University. Her areas of interest include Kant, early modern philosophy (especially Leibniz), 19th and early 20th-century German philosophy, aesthetics, animal ethics, and history of philosophy of science. Before joining NYU, she taught at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of many articles, and her book The World According to Kant — Appearances and Things in Themselves in Critical Idealism (Oxford, 2021) just came out earlier this year.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2968142250?pwd=d0RpSWJMNXZSdjZNaFpiMEtpS0pMQT09

It’s easy to see how certain things depend for their existence on other, more fundamental things, like a molecule depends on its constituent atoms or a gaggle on its geese. But what would the world be like if everything were ontologically dependent on something else? Is there a coherent story to be told about an endless dependence chain? In this discussion, we'll explore a Buddhist anti-foundationalist metaphysical picture from the Middle Way philosophical tradition that challenges common assumptions about the structure of reality.

Dr. Allison Aitken is a Bersoff Faculty Fellow in the philosophy department at New York University. She specializes in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy as well as early modern European philosophy. Her research centers on non-standard theories of relations and dependence structures in the history of metaphysics. After her time at NYU, she will join the Department of Philosophy at Columbia University as an Assistant Professor.

Join us on Thursday, April 22 from 7:00 to 8:00 PM ET

Zoom ID: 296 814 2250, Passcode: 43grx8

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2968142250?pwd=d0RpSWJMNXZSdjZNaFpiMEtpS0pMQT09

What is our moral relationship with the other animals with whom we share the planet? Do animals have rights? And if so, what sorts of obligations and responsibilities do we have toward them? In this very special discussion with Professor Jeff Sebo, we will delve into these fascinating questions and more. This one is for all the animal lovers out there!

Professor Jeff Sebo works primarily in moral, social, and political philosophy with an emphasis on bioethics, animal ethics, and environmental ethics. His current work focuses on agency, sentience, and moral / political standing; the ethics of food, animals, and the environment; and the ethics of activism, advocacy, and philanthropy. His book Food, Animals, and the Environment: An ethical approach (co-authored with Christopher Schlottmann) is forthcoming from Routledge, and his book Why Animals Matter for Climate Change is forthcoming from Oxford University Press. In addition to his academic work, Jeff sits on the Board of Directors at Animal Charity Evaluators, the Board of Directors at Minding Animals International, and the Executive Committee at the Animals and Society Institute.

Join us on Thursday, April 15 from 7:00 to 8:00 PM ET

Zoom ID: 296 814 2250, Passcode: 43grx8

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2968142250?pwd=d0RpSWJMNXZSdjZNaFpiMEtpS0pMQT09

Recent events shed light on how integral race is to people’s perception of the world. It is core to many of our identities. Yet, biologists and anthropologists suggest that race is not biologically real. Meanwhile, philosophers disagree with the mode of existence of race - whether it is a natural kind or if it is a social construct. Cosmopolitanism is one such influential philosophical approach which sees race as something merely socially constructed.

Given the disagreement on its ontology, there could be further implications on normative ethics. If people accept that race is not real, would that change how we currently deal with race and racism? If so, how would it change?

Join us on Thursday, April 8 from 7:00 to 8:00 PM ET

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2968142250?pwd=d0RpSWJMNXZSdjZNaFpiMEtpS0pMQT09

Zoom ID: 296 814 2250, Passcode: 43grx8

How do Spinoza's ideas influence and inspire today's discourse on panpsychism? Join us on Wednesday, March 31 to hear Professor Garrett's thoughts on this intriguing topic and for an opportunity to engage in discussion with him as one of its leading experts.

Don Garrett is Silver Professor of Philosophy at New York University. Previously Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he has also taught at Harvard University and the University of Utah. His research interests include seventeenth- and eighteenth-century metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, ethics, and political philosophy.

• What: A discussion on Spinoza and his relevance to contemporary panpsychism

• Who: Prof. Don Garrett

• When: Wednesday, March 31 from 7:00 to 8:00 PM ET

• Where: Zoom, ID: 296 814 2250, Passcode: 43grx8

Join us on March 18 for this very special panel discussion on advanced philosophical writing best practices, led by Ph.D. students from NYU's Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) chapter! Whether you are interested in grad school, want to improve your philosophy writing skills, or simply desire to learn more, this event will have something for you to take away and apply to your own philosophical works.

MAP is an international network of philosophy students committed to addressing (a) minority issues in the profession, (b) theoretical issues regarding philosophy of gender, race, sexual orientation, class, disability, native language, etc., and (c) philosophy done from minority perspectives. The NYU chapter pursues these goals through a variety of events, including talks, film screenings, workshops, trainings, and collaborative events organized with other NYC-area chapters.

• Who: Open to everyone, led by graduate students in Minorities And Philosophy, NYU chapter

• What: A panel discussion on best practices in philosophical writing

• When: Thursday, March 18 from 7:00 to 8:00 PM EST

• Where: Zoom, ID: 296 814 2250, Passcode: 43grx8

  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2968142250?pwd=d0RpSWJMNXZSdjZNaFpiMEtpS0pMQT09

Take a break from your midterms and join our virtual watch party! We will be watching Christopher Nolan's Inception. The entire movie's runtime is 2 hours, 42 minutes

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2968142250?pwd=d0RpSWJMNXZSdjZNaFpiMEtpS0pMQT09

Meeting ID: 296 814 2250

Passcode: 43grx8

The question of “personal identity” is perhaps the most fundamental philosophical inquiry. Its philosophical roots can be traced back to The Ship of Theseus, an anonymous Greek thought experiment discussed by the likes of Heraclitus, Plato, and later Hobbes and Locke, where we are asked if a ship which has had all of its parts replaced is still the same ship. When applied to persons, the issue gets even more complicated as defining oneself is no easy task. Locke proposes that we should consider the body, the brain, and the psychological criterion when looking at identity. However, defining one’s personal identity based on three broad criteria seems like a tough pill to swallow. If you find yourself struggling to accept this proposal and have a better one in mind, or if you agree with Locke and want to defend his argument, or simply want to have a fun time chatting about philosophy, feel free to join us for our upcoming Socratic seminar on personal identity!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2968142250?pwd=d0RpSWJMNXZSdjZNaFpiMEtpS0pMQT09

Meeting ID: 296 814 2250

Passcode: 43grx8

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) was a German philosopher and cultural critic who published intensively in the 1870s and 1880s. He is famous for uncompromising criticisms of traditional European morality and religion, as well as of conventional philosophical ideas and social and political pieties associated with modernity.

Nietzsche himself suggests that the concept of "eternal recurrence"––"the idea that all events in the world repeat themselves in the same sequence through an eternal series of cycles” was his most important thought, but that has not made it any easier for commentators to understand.

Professor John Richardson, the leading expert on Nietzsche, will speak on this significant topic to give us better insight.

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Meeting ID: 296 814 2250

Passcode: 43grx8

“Aesthetic” is a term which has entrenched itself in the zeitgeist, and for good reason. In the course of our day-to-day lives, we all experience and recognize aesthetic appreciation when we listen to our favorite artist, gaze at a sunset, or admire the outfits of stylish passersby on the street. What might not be so widely known however is that aesthetics is also a vital part of philosophical inquiry.

Questions regarding what may be considered art, what role it plays in our lives, and what makes something beautiful or ugly, sublime or mundane, cute or unsettling, as well as harmonious or clashing belong to this branch of philosophy. Furthermore, we may ask whether aesthetic judgements are subjective or objective, how aesthetics may intersect with morality, politics, and other normative fields, and why aesthetic taste exists at all in the first place. In this upcoming Socratic seminar, we will ponder these questions and more through open dialogue in order to arrive at a better appreciation and understanding of aesthetic theory. 

Interest Form:

https://forms.gle/FsSdxo7vEi4XwRtWA

Zoom Info:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87422462276?pwd=RHRKWi9mdW9KSjl5NUhQR0I3TWN1Zz09

Meeting ID: 874 2246 2276
Passcode: 318331