Monday, September 30, 2013

Lunch Chat (10/3): Is Consciousness a Problem for Evolution?

Consciousness has been called the last real mystery in science. That's probably overstating it, but still, many philosophers and scientists agree: explaining consciousness in physical terms is no easy feat. In fact, according to Thomas Nagel, it's impossible. This is a core thesis of his controversial book, Mind and Cosmos, whose central arguments he recently described in a post on the New York Times' philosophy blog, The Stone. The most controversial part of the book claims that evolutionary theory "must become more than just a physical theory." Here's Nagel explaining why:
So the physical sciences, in spite of their extraordinary success in their own domain, necessarily leave an important aspect of nature unexplained.  Further, since the mental arises through the development of animal organisms, the nature of those organisms cannot be fully understood through the physical sciences alone.  Finally, since the long process of biological evolution is responsible for the existence of conscious organisms, and since a purely physical process cannot explain their existence, it follows that biological evolution must be more than just a physical process, and the theory of evolution, if it is to explain the existence of conscious life, must become more than just a physical theory.
As you can imagine, this has rankled more than a few people. Join us Thursday, October 3rd, from 12-1 pm to discuss it with biology professor Tristan Stayton! Lunch provided, as always.
Tristan Stayton (Biology)

About Philosophy Lunch Chats: About every two weeks throughout the term, interested faculty, staff, students, and community members get together in the Willard–Smith Library in Vaughan Literature Building from noon to 1PM to chat about some philosophical topic over lunch in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. There's nothing to sign up for, and you won't get a grade, ever. Feel free to be a regular or show up just once. For more information about Philosophy Lunch Chats or to offer suggestions for future chats (warmly welcomed), either contact Professor Matthew Slater <matthew.slater@bucknell.edu> or Professor Jason Leddington <jason.leddington@bucknell.edu>.

In the Queue: 10/17: "Friendship: For Better or Worse?" — with Professor Sheila Lintott (Philosophy)

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Upcoming Events

We are pleased to announce several more departmental events for the Fall 2013 term:

Public Lecture by Professor Robert Audi (University of Notre Dame)
"The Problem of Evil as a Challenge to Philosophy and Theology:  Can Theism Be Rational Given the Evils of History?"
November 14th, 7PM (location TBA)

"A.I. Week": November 18th–22nd
November 19th, 7:30PM: Philosophical Film Night at the Campus Theatre: "2001: A Space Odyssey"
November 21st, 4PM: "Artificial Intelligence: An Interdisciplinary Conversation"
A Panel Discussion with John Hunter (Comparative Humanities), Brian King (Computer Science), Jason Leddington (Philosophy), and Joe Tranquillo (Biomedical and Electrical Engineering)

Lunch Chats 
in the Willard–Smith Library (in Vaughan Lit) at noon; lunch is provided.

10/3: "Is Consciousness a Problem for Evolution?" — with Professor Tristan Stayton (Biology)

10/17: "Friendship: For Better or Worse?" — with Professor Sheila Lintott (Philosophy)

10/31: Special Halloween Lunch Chat: "Horror and the Uncanny" — with Steve Gibson (director of The Feed, Professor Pete Groff (Philosophy), and Professor JT Ptacek (Psychology)

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Lunch Chat (9/19): Is Economics a Science?

Tucker Nichols for the New York Times — click for the article.
Economics been called "the dismal science" as far back as the 19th century. More recently, some have cited its apparently dismal performance at predicting the last global recession as reason for rethinking its status as a science at all.

Philosophy Lunch Chats kicks off its 2013–14 season this Thursday, September 19th at noon with a discussion of whether it is helpful to think of economics as a science. Our touchstone will be the recent piece by Alex Rosenberg and Tyler Curtain in the New York Times' "The Stone" column: "What is Economics Good For?" You might also wish to read Thomas Paul Krugman's reply. [Ack! I'm mixing my NYTimes economists!]

We will be joined by two guest experts from the Economics Department: Professor Gregory Krohn and Professor Geoff Schneider. As usual, lunch will be served. We hope you will stop by for some informal discussion.

About Philosophy Lunch Chats: About every two weeks throughout the term, interested faculty, staff, students, and community members get together in the Willard–Smith Library in Vaughan Literature Building from noon to 1PM to chat about some philosophical topic over lunch in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. There's nothing to sign up for, and you won't get a grade, ever. Feel free to be a regular or show up just once. For more information about Philosophy Lunch Chats or to offer suggestions for future chats (warmly welcomed), either contact Professor Matthew Slater <matthew.slater@bucknell.edu> or Professor Jason Leddington <jason.leddington@bucknell.edu>.

In the Queue: October 3rd: Is Consciousness a Problem for Evolution?

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Philosophical Films are Back! First up: "Paths of Glory"

Fall is upon us and we have two philosophical film nights at the Campus Theatre planned for the term as part of Bucknell's Film/Media screenings series. 

The first will be on Tuesday, September 10th at 7:30PM ($2 admission) and will be Stanley Kubric's second Hollywood film, "Paths of Glory" (1957): a scathing portrayal of modern warfare. Colonel Dax (Douglas) faces an impossible mission and an apparently impossible moral situation in a story based on a true 1916 incident of French soldiers facing court-martial and execution for the failure of a suicidal infantry attack against superior German forces. 

Professor Leddington and I will be leading a post-screening discussion about moral dilemmas. Hope you'll come out for an amazing and thought-provoking classic and an interesting discussion.

The second film — so you can mark your calendars now — will be another Kubric classic: "2001: A Space Odyssey" on November 19th. Think of it as a mini-Kubric marathon. . . .