X-Phi and the History of Philosophy

A discussion at Experiential Philosophy. (HT: X-Phi FB Page)

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To Lie or not to Lie? (The Game)

http://www.open.ac.uk/openlearn/history-the-arts/culture/philosophy/lie-or-not-lie

I hope this engenders an open discussion about meta-ethics in general.

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CFP: Dialectics and Distances between Self and Other

From USF:

The University of South Florida Philosophy Graduate Student Organization is pleased to announce:

The Fourth Annual USF Graduate Philosophy Conference “Ipseity & Alterity: Dialectics and Distances between Self and Other”

March 4th & 5th, 2011

Deadline for Submission: December 31st, 2010

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Thomas Flynn (Emory University): “Sartre and Merleau-Ponty on the Dialectic”

We are also pleased to announce a faculty address by Dr. Charles Guignon (University of South Florida)

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The Nietzsche Family Circus

If you haven’t seen The Nietzsche Family Circus before, you should take a look here. “The Nietzsche Family Circus pairs a randomized Family Circus cartoon with a randomized Friedrich Nietzsche quote.”

It’s more amusing than it (probably) sounds. Trust me.

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Karl Marx: Requiem for a Devalued System

“Marxian exploitation is the exploitation of people’s lack of understanding of economics.”

Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia

The impetus for this post was provided by two graduate students here at the University of North Florida, Doidos and Solta (not their real names). In conversation with Doidos and Solta, I was made aware that both were rather sympathetic to Marxist political philosophy. (In fact, on more than a few occasions, Solta even claimed to be a Marxist.) Despite their proclamations of capitalism’s “exploitative and oppressive structure” and their palatable antipathy toward the economic system that permits them the luxury of academic pursuit, it occurred to me that neither Doidos nor Solta knew a thing about Marxian economic theory. E.g., they could not for the life of them provide me with a coherent encapsulation of Marx’s conception of surplus-value, use-value, or exchange-value, all of which are necessary for his theory of exploitation. I could only conclude that, for them, “exploitation” and “oppressive” were indicative of a facon de parler rather than an understanding of a political-economic theory. Therefore, it is my hope that both Doidos and Solta read this post (though I am confident that neither will) and listen to the accompanying lecture. Even if they dismiss the critiques of Marx contain herein, perhaps they will learn a bit about their patron saint’s economic thought.

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Keirkegaard Fellowship

From the website of St. Olaf College:

The Kierkegaard Library offers fellowships to scholars for from two to nine weeks in duration, usually used between June 3 and August 15. Fellowships are also available at other times of year. The award includes free housing and a $300 per month stipend for food as well as access to the libraries and other facilities of St. Olaf College. Young Scholars Program stipends are $200 per month.

To apply for a fellowship, please send a letter outlining your proposed research project and reasons for wanting to use the collection. A curriculum vitae or other description of qualifications and two academic recommendations are also required. Awards are normally made to students at graduate level or to mature scholars. Advanced undergraduates are also welcome to apply (see Young Scholars Program).

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“Of Miracles” — What, Precisely, Was Hume’s Point?

Submitted for your consideration, a hastily written polemic. I would like to see what others think of this situation.

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Philosophers’ Carnival #53

Class is officially in session for the 53rd Philosophers‘ Carnival!

Since we at the Florida Student Philosophy Blog have recently returned to class, we thought you should too. We would like to thank all those who submitted, and we hope that you find the current selection as engaging as we did. Courses (or posts if you prefer) are organized by major subject, so go straight to your specialty or feel free to survey the catalog.

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Valuable or Worthless? – A Human Life Considered…

On the Life of a Playboy-Bunny,

I recall an evening in the early summer of August 1997, when I was strolling towards a movie theatre in Santa Monica, California to take in some of Hollywood’s cinematographic delights. A friend of mine, who was, at the time, residing in Paris, rang in with the terrible news that 36-year old Princess Diana had died. As I entered the theatre, with news that had yet to break in most of America, I could not help but wonder how the people who were watching the movie with me would be affected by this death once they found out. While I was uncertain how people would react, I was somehow quite certain that most would likely have some form of reaction, be it grief, surprise, chock, or sadness.

This was not the case when I heard of the death of 39-year old Anna Nicole Smith (Thursday 02/09/07). In fact, I only just furrowed my brows a bit, turned off the news channel, and thought: ”Oh well…who cares”?! It was not until this morning I started pondering why I could possibly care so little about another human being.

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Kant v. Locke: It’s About Time

Katherine Dunlop (Stanford) will present her paper, “The Unity of Time’s Measure: Kant’s Reply to Locke,” at the University of Miami on Friday, January 26th. More information is available here.

- Rico Vitz

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