11/29/09 Meeting

Greetings Fellow Philosophers,

This sunday, at 3:00 in the south lounge of the Reynolds Club
as per usual, we will be having our final* meeting of the
quarter! This will be our wrap up meeting, in which we will
bring all we’ve been discussing on Personal Identity to bear
on a more free-form discussion of the subject. Basically, that
means no paper to read this week. Just bring your opinions and
be prepared to defend them (As such, this meeting is really
designed for members who have been coming at least
semi-regularly to meetings this quarter). Hope to see everyone
there.

-Ian Caughlan

*it is possible that we might hold another next weekend.

Thought Experiments are Stupid-or are They?

For the final meeting of quarter we will be reading Stephen Coleman’s ‘Thought Experiments and Personal Identity.’ The paper is very readable and incorporates some of the things we discussed this quarter (Thomas Reid’s example, Brain/Body problem) and some things we would have in another possible world in which we had more time. It’s about a decade old, and from my research Coleman is a notable Australian philosopher. I encourage everyone to show up, even if you haven’t shown up all quarter or all year. This may be your last time to read philosophy before the maelstrom that is finals hits.

-Brian

link!

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4321017

Grice and Personal Identity

This week we’re going to be reading H.P. ‘Paul’ Grice’s paper, uniquely titled ‘Personal Identity.’ Stable JSTOR link.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/2250897

The Grice paper is one of the first in the field, and anytime spent reading Grice is time well spent.  Also, next quarter meeting may be moved to Thursdays in order to accommodate people who cannot make it on Thursdays. We’re also planning events that get more philosophy majors involved in the club itself and with each other. Look for updates on that. If you’re superstitious, don’t read the paper on Friday 13th. See you there.

-Brian

philosophy joke:

A pessimist says the glass is half empty.

An optimist says the glass is half full.

A rationalist says the glass is twice as large as it needs to be.

Personal Identity Redux

The second meeting of our theme on personal identity will be this Sunday at 3 p.m. (I guess if you’re in Reynolds at 3 a.m. there’s something wrong) in the South Lounge of Reynolds. The paper is Derrick Parfit’s Personal Identity.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/20115799

Perhaps this will help us understand the Merricks paper better, which will certainly come up again in discussion. Stay as sane as possible.

 

Brian

PERSONAL IDENTITY!

The powers that be have determined that the theme for the rest of the quarter is personal identity. The first paper will be “There Are No Criteria of Identity Over Time” by Trenton Mericks.  It is one of the most influential papers in the field, and anticipates the future readings quite well, in addition to being some recent (March 1998). The stable JSTOR is

linkhttp://www.jstor.org/stable/2671929

If this fails a simple search should get you to the paper.  Also, in light of the paper we read last weekend by Daniel Dennett, I am posting the paper “From Typo to Thinko.”

http://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/papers/Dennett_From_Typo_to_Thinko.pdf

It won’t be discussed at the meeting per se but it is worth reading, at least as a diversion from studying. Happy midterms.

-Brian

Theme for the Rest of the Quarter

After four successful meeting we’re hoping to determine a theme for the rest of the quarter, or at least for the next 4 or 5 meetings. The leading candidate as of now is Personal Identity. I’ve made a list of 10 (or 11) papers on the topic that have been influential in the field, many written by proiminent philosophers. We’re having a meeting on Tuesday at 7:15 in Hutchinson commons to discuss the rest of the quarter; all are welcome!!!! The tentative papers are listed below. The theme hasn’t been decided per se, so if you find this massively offensive come to the meeting with another proposed topic. Also, we’re hoping to post a list of interesting papers for kicks and giggles that could perhaps be used in future meeting. If anyone,  member or otherwise, has a paper for the list either email me or comment on this.  Stay strong during midterms.

-Brian

1. Personal Identity by HP Grice
2. Personal Identity by Derrick Parfit or, Personal Identity and Rationality by Parfit
3. Personal Identity and Individuation by Bernard Williams
4. On Knowing One’s Own Mind by Sidney Shoemaker
5. Personal Identity and Dead People by David Mackie
6. On Being in the Same Place at the Same Time by David Wiggins
7. There Are No Criteria of Identity in Our Time by Trenton Merricks
8. The Problem of the Essential Indexical by John Perry
9. Interpretation Theory and the First Person by Richard Moran
10. This I is he or it (this thing) Which Thinks by Wilfred Sellars

In Darwin’s Wake, Where am I?

Hey Club,

Our next meeting will be this Sunday at 3 in the South Lounge of the Reynolds Club. We’ll be reading Daniel Dennett’s “In Darwin’s Wake.” Link:

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3218710

After the discussion we’ll be determining a theme for the rest of the quarter. Come with ideas. Good luck on work and try to keep cool during midterm time.

-Brian

Hey all,

The Philosophy Club will meet at 3 PM this Sunday, in the Reynolds Club’s South Lounge (2nd floor, across from Hallowed Grounds.)

We will be reading Foucault’s “Society Must be Defended.” It is from “Ethics, Subjectivity and Truth,” a collection of Foucault’s lectures and essays edited by Paul Rabinow. If you need to get a copy of the paper and you’re not on our mailing list, shoot me an e-mail at whilke@uchicago.edu and I will help you access it.

Hope to see you all there!

-Wally

Moral Luck: Tom Nagel Strikes Back

The second meeting of the Undergraduate Philosophy Club will be this Sunday in The South Lounge of the Reynolds Club. We’ll be seeing what Tom Nagel has to say in light of Bernard Williams. As always, new members are encouraged and welcomed with open arms and smiling faces. The link to the paper is the same as last week  but here it is again

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4106826?&Search=yes&term=moral&term=luck&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dmoral%2Bluck%2B%26gw%3Djtx%26prq%3Dmoral%2Bluck%2Bnagel%26Search%3DSearch%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=19&ttl=17124&returnArticleService=showArticle&addArticle=confirm

(We apologize for the messiness of the link. If this does not work go to JSTOR, search Moral Luck and it’s the paper by T. Nagel and B.A.O. Williams).

We also have a facebook group which members are encouraged to join so we can learn each others’ names while we’re not arguing with each other.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=145270759019

We’ll also be looking for paper topics and perhaps a leader for next week so come with ideas.

-Brian

Hi all,

The Undergraduate Philosophy Club is having its first meeting this Sunday. We will be discussing Bernard Williams’ “Moral Luck” (but not the accompanying Nagel essay.) You can find the essay at
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4106826?&Search=yes&term=moral&term=luck&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dmoral%2Bluck%26wc%3Don%26dc%3DAll%2BDisciplines&item=19&ttl=17135&returnArticleService=showArticle. If you’re off-campus, you’ll have to log into JSTOR from the University’ library page.

Time: Sunday, 3:00-4:30 PM
Place: South Lounge, Reynolds Club (2nd floor, across from the
coffee shop)

Hope to see you all there!

Wally Hilke
Co-President, Undergraduate Philosophy Club