UAB Philosophy Club

meeting times for the Fall 2009 semester

2009-09-14T18:46:00.003-05:00

Greetings fellow philosophers, we'll be meeting this semester on Mondays now, still at 7pm, still in the philosophy dept library on the 4th floor of the Humanities Building. I hope to see everyone there, and remember to bring a friend, or several!

Fall 2009 Meet and Greet

2009-08-31T17:50:00.002-05:00

So its the new semester and its time to get things rolling again with the Philosophy Club! We're planning on having a back to school party on Sept 8th at 7PM where there will be food and you can meet some of the professors in the Department. Hope you can make it out! Check the Facebook page for the club to RSVP to the event.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44668607772

Film screening on the 30th

2009-03-19T19:37:00.002-05:00

I've invited Eleni Vlachos to screen her film "Seeing Through the Fence", a film that examines the ethics and sustainability of food production in our modern age.

From Eleni:

I recently released a documentary entitled Seeing Through the Fence, a philosophical look at ethics, tradition, and our food sources. Through a series of interviews, the documentary explores the question, "What prevents ethical principles from being advance to action?"

Due to the positive response screenings have received, I am touring a year with the film - screening at universities primarily -- and have screened at several philosophy clubs. As part of a nationwide tour, I will be in your area and available to screen the film at the University of Alabama on 3/27 or 3/30, and would love to explore, with you, this possibility.

Recently, the Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kansas wrote:

"Thank you for hosting the screening of your film for the philosophy club at the University of Kansas! I think it is an excellent piece of work, both as an instance of filmmaking in general and as a means to engaging with a range of ethical issues. I should also say that the film had a significant effect on me..."

Here is my synopsis:
Through a series of humorous and poignant interviews conducted across the US and in Greece with "random people," the documentarian's family, and activists, Seeing through the Fence explores our attitudes about the role of food in modern society and our connection, or lack of connection, with both the processes and animals from which our food originates, asking the question, 'What prevents ethical principles from being advanced to action?'

The format is flexible but typically as follows:

* Intro (5 minutes)
* Making of of film (5 minutes)
* Screen film (One hour, DVD)
* Question & Answer (15-30 minutes)

A trailer and link to press can be found here: www.porchlifeproductions.com . I have also pasted some feedback about the film below. A modest honorarium/sponsorship is requested, and I can provide access to promotional materials. I appreciate your time! (Additional press/quotes follow below.)

Other press/quotes:

"I eat meat. Always have, probably always will. So, why would I want to watch a documentary about vegans and vegetarians? To see the different point of view that "Seeing Through the Fence" offers... the documentary flows through interviews with Vlachos' family, activists and people on the street. In this humorous pro-vegan documentary, Vlachos allows others to speak their minds..." --LEO Weekly, Staff Picks (Louisville, KT)

"Seeing Through the Fence was screened as part of our Sustainable Development film series...The film not only addresses the cruelty inherent in modern factory farms, but also how Americans can no longer sustainably afford to eat as they do today. The film provoked lively conversations and received great feedback from attending students. I highly recommend this film to other universities." --Veronica Dristas, Outreach Coordinator for Global Studies at the University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh

"Seeing Through the Fence was a surprise – a wonderful combination of storytelling, comedy, and activism. I was particularly compelled with the personal, familial perspective [showing] a family perplexed by her choices, pointing out that years of cultural tradition cannot be ignored..." --Beth-Ann Kutchma, UNC-Chapel Hill Fulbright Program Advisor; Program Officer, the Center for Global Initiatives.

"Vlachos...takes to streets, dog parks and pig sanctuaries, from Seattle to North Carolina to Greece. She questions passersby, friends and family...It's in these conversations between family and friends that the film finds its real voice. Here, Vlachos is less of a streetwise interviewer and more of a patient philosopher." --Kathy Justice, Independent Weekly

"Seeing Through the Fence smartly peppers humor throughout...Vlachos serves up a vital and highly likable film." --The Feminist Review

"This is the kind of movie I wish everyone would watch, because it can really make you think about the effects your diet has on the world."--Student, as quoted in the Guilfordian

"Armed solely with a mini-DV camera and microphone, Vlachos interviews vegetarians and meat eaters alike across the United States, as well as in Greece...Vlachos' film is rather omnivore-friendly. Although nearly half of the people she interviews enjoy eating meat, Vlachos never comes off as being pushy or confrontational during their discussions." --Joe Scott, Film Feature, Go Triad! (Greensboro,NC)

"Very creative! Seeing Through the Fence is subtle yet powerful enough to open hearts and minds. A real gem...everyone should see this film." --Esta Lewin, Counselor/Career Services Coordinator, Lake Tahoe Community College, CA.

"Seeing Through the Fence...is an earnest and relatively non-confrontational world view from a vegan's vantage point. Above all, Vlachos said, she wants her film to open up conversation about the choices we make when we buy food and eat." -- Laura Giovanelli, Staff Writer, Relish/Journal Now (Winston-Salem, NC)

Moving to Tues nights

2009-03-19T19:15:00.001-05:00

Hey gang, we're moving the meetings to Tues nights at 7:30pm due to popular demand. Please make a note of it. Hope to see you there!

upcoming debate topics

2009-02-25T20:29:00.002-06:00

hey guys, after a brainstorming session we have come up with a list of debate topics for our meetings. here is the list and temporary order for them:

Bailout/Keynesian economics
Government Paternalism
Nationalized healthcare
Abortion/Stem cell research
Nootropic drugs
Recreational drugs: are they necessarily abuse?
Is God Great?
Atheism vs Agnosticism
Free Will vs. Determinism
Universials vs Tropes vs Classes

if anyone wants to add to this list or suggest changes then please show up to the meetings! ;)

Big Meeting with FOOD tomorrow!

2009-01-13T18:47:00.002-06:00

I hope that that brings you guys out. ;) Tomorrow (Jan 14th) we have our first meeting of the semester with food, drinks, and camaraderie. Bring a friend and come meet fellow minded philosophers! Till then enjoy some philosophy, comic style.

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1394

Greetings fellow philosophers

2008-11-10T21:30:00.002-06:00

I wanted to drop a quick post about things in the Philosophy Club. I'm happy to accept the position of president and look forward to serving you and making the club something you want to participate in. As I said in the opening meeting I intend to be a steward of the club rather than forcing my philosophic interests on you. In the spirit of camaraderie I invite you to submit topics for discussion, including any relevant articles, that might be of interest to us. My vice-president, Elizabeth, has suggested that we start at the beginning and talk about the origins of philosophy; how it came to be, and what inspired the brilliant men who have helped to shape us as a species. I thought a discussion on the allegory of the cave could be rewarding. We'll also discuss any upcoming events that could be of interest for a trip or if we have some philosophers coming to town, so keep your eyes and ears open.
Again, thank you for your participation, and know that your input is always valued.

Your President,
Joseph

New Club Leaders

2008-10-31T14:14:00.002-05:00

Special thanks to everyone who attended the first meeting. This year looks to be a promising one for the philosophy club. Here are the names of your new club leaders and board members:

President: Joseph Baker
Vice President: Elizabeth Lopez
Secretary: Eric Cuffe

President, Philosophy Club Board: Shannon Nolen
Vice President, Philosophy Club Board: Orion Parrish

Feel free to harrass these individuals about the club in order to make it everything you want it to be!

Fall Meeting

2008-10-24T05:40:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, October 29th at 7:00pm in the philosophy library will be the annual fall philosophy club meeting. All students interested in participating in philosophy club activities are encouraged to attend. This meeting will be informal and primarily social, a chance to meet with other philosophy students and talk about ideas for future club events. Pizza and drinks will be provided, and faculty members will be invited to make appearances as well. Don't miss out on your chance to get to know the UAB philosophy department and all of its bright, motivated students!

See you there!

3rd Annual Graduate School Meeting

2008-02-27T13:08:00.002-06:00

Next Wednesday, March 5th at 7:00pm, Dr. Angner will give his annual presentation on what it takes to get into graduate school, particularly graduate school in philosophy. Topics include an undergraduate preparation timeline, elements of a graduate school application, and what you can expect in grad school. Anyone pursuing philosophy as an undergrad but perhaps another field as a grad student (e.g. law) is likely to benefit from this meeting also. Pizza and drinks will be served (I promise), and a room number will be available soon. If possible, please RSVP to sbnolen@uab.edu if you think you will attend, as we'd like to know how much pizza to buy.

The God Debate: Part Deux

2008-02-13T02:33:00.003-06:00

Well, the first showing of the "The God Debate" was a major success. So much so that after two and a half hours, we still weren't finished with the video! Therefore, next week we're going to finish watching the last half, and updates on where and when will be coming as soon as I can reserve a room again. I hope everyone who came last meeting can return, and if you couldn't make it to the first part, feel free to come to the second and voice your opinion!

This week's meeting will be Tuesday, February 19th, at 7:00pm in Heritage Hall Rm 125.

God Debate Club Meeting

2008-02-04T13:43:00.000-06:00

This Thursday, February 7th at 7:00 pm will be our much-awaited showing of "The God Debate" featuring John Lennox and Richard Dawkins. Since members of the Christian club have expressed interest in attending the showing, the location may possibly be different from our normal one in order to accomodate them; I will send out an email and post the locale as soon as we have a rough estimate of the number of attendees. This promises to be an exciting meeting!

The meeting will be in Room 125 in Heritage Hall. However, we will meet in the lobby of Heritage Hall at 7:00pm beforehand.

George Loewenstein Lecture

2007-10-30T17:55:00.000-05:00

On Friday, November 9th, one of the founders of behavioral economics and neuroeconomics, Dr. George Loewenstein, will be giving an open lecture at UAB. Loewenstein has been extremely influential within his field and is one of the most well-known contemporary economists today. I'd like to encourage all members of the philosophy club to attend this lecture, as an opportunity like this is rare.

Here is more information about the lecture:

———————————— PUBLIC LECTURE ————————————
George Loewenstein,
Carnegie Mellon University
The Economist as Therapist:
Methodological Ramifications of
‘Light’ Paternalism

Friday November 9, 2007, at 3 pm
105 Business-Engineering Complex
University of Alabama at Birmingham
—————————————————————————————————
About the speaker: George Loewenstein is the Herbert A. Simon Professor of Economics and Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University. He received his PhD from Yale University in 1985 and since then has held academic positions at The University of Chicago and Carnegie Mellon University, and fellowships at Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, The Russell Sage Foundation and The Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin. He is one of the founders of the field of behavioral economics and more recently of the new field of neuroeconomics. Loewenstein's research focuses on applications of psychology to economics, and his specific interests include decision making over time, bargaining and negotiations, psychology and health, law and economics, the psychology of adaptation, the role of emotion in decision making, the psychology of curiosity, conflict of interest, and "out of control" behaviors such as impulsive violent crime and drug addiction. He has published over 100 journal articles, numerous book chapters, and has edited 6 books on topics ranging from intertemporal choice to behavioral economics to emotions.

Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Finance,
Economics, and Quantitative Methods at the University of Alabama at Birmingham

Lecture: What it Takes to Do Philosophical Research

2007-10-30T17:36:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, November 1 at 7:00pm, Dr. Arnold will be presenting to the philosophy club on "What it Takes to Do Philosophical Research." The talk will be aimed at breaking down the steps needed to engage in on-going or long-term philosophical work. The past several years Dr. Arnold has been working on such a project, and his talk will be centered around what he has learned along the way. Students interested in graduate work of any kind would benefit from this presentation (think dissertation), as well as students who are curious about the philosophical writing process. The meeting will be same place and time as usual, 7:00pm in the philosophy conference room (4th floor Humanities Building). Students interested in political philosophy will want to attend.

PPE Pizza Party

2007-10-22T06:56:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, October 24 in BEC 105 there will be an information session led by Dr. Erik Anger and Dr. Sara Helms of the Economics Department about the Philosophy and Political Economy program. The meeting will be from noon until 1:00pm and will cover basic information about what the PPE concentration is, what courses it requires, and why it may be of benefit to certain majors or students with particular interests. Anyone interested in learning about the PPE concentration is invited to attend, and free pizza will be provided. Orion and myself will be there, so I hope to see the rest of you guys there as well!

To learn more about the PPE program from the Department of Philosophy, click here http://www.uab.edu/philosophy/PPE.html.

Below is the flyer Dr. Angner is passing around for this event:

_________________________________
Interested in studying law, going to
graduate school , or taking a job in business,
journalism, politics, management,
intelligence, marketing, industrial
organization?
PIZZA PARTY
Go o d F o o d & Go o d I n f o rma t i o n
Wed, October 24
12:00 – 1:00
BEC 105
L E A R N A B O U T
Philosophy & Political Economy
Concentration
G U E S T S P E A K E R S
Dr. Erik Angner, Dr. Sara Helms,
Dr. Sarah Culver, Dr. Jeff Graveline
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO ATTEND
___________________________________________
More Info Dr . Erik Angner angner@uab.edu

Arts and Humanities Tent Party

2007-10-05T15:14:00.000-05:00

Recently Dr. Angner alerted me that on Thursday, October 11, there will be a tent party for Arts and Humanities students and faculty from 11:30 to 1:30pm. The tents will be set up in the courtyard between the Humanities and Business buildings. The party is free and is a good chance to mingle with like-minded students and professors. Also, the next philosophy club meeting is the same day -- see post below.

Discussion-Based Philosophy Club Meeting

2007-10-05T12:43:00.000-05:00

After much success with our first meeting, we want to continue the momentum with a second meeting which will be Thursday, October 11 at 7:00pm. This will be a discussion-based meeting focusing around the topic of "values in science," and Dr. Abrams and Dr. Vollmer have offered to moderate. The format will consist of a brief introduction given by either Dr. Abrams or Dr. Vollmer, followed by an open discussion periodically guided by the moderators. This is a no-pressure discussion/debate -- if you don't want to speak up or if you just want to come to listen and hear what people have to say, feel free. Likewise, if you have lots of opinions on this issue and feel that you would have something to offer the discussion, we definitely want you there. Below is a copy of the flyer that Dr. Vollmer created which gives more detailed information about the topic and the optional reading.

PHILOSOPHY CLUB DISCUSSION SESSION: VALUES IN SCIENCE

Come ready to express your view or contribute to the discussion of others views!
Drs. Vollmer and Abrams will moderate the discussion. Do not do any special reading for this event.

To get you oriented to the evening, here are the issues:
A traditional view is that science is fundamentally objective, however, values are occasionally involved in the practice of science and when they are, science becomes subjective. In this view, values can always be eliminated from science by being careful not to favor one hypothesis over another, for example, because it was originally your own. Call this the Values-Can-Go view.
More recently, however, philosophers tend to take one of two widely divergent views, neither of which accords with the traditional view. One of these views takes science to be unavoidably subjective, and the other thoroughly objective.
The subjective view claims that values are an essential part of science. Proponents of this view argue that science is subjective because results are always underdetermined. In other words, the same scientific evidence can be used to support more than one conclusion. Scientists nevertheless draw a single conclusion from a given set of data, as when a single curve is drawn through a set of points. Values are inevitably involved in selecting this conclusion, and they cannot be eliminated from science. Call this the subjectivist position.
In the Objectivist view, values are not a part of science. This view is defended using the notion, put forward originally by Hume, that moral claims are categorically different from factual claims and cannot be derived from them. Since science observes facts, the conclusions drawn from these facts necessarily have no moral implications, and so no value. Call this the objectivist position.

Which view to you endorse? The Values-Can-Go View? The Subjectivist position? Or The Objectivist position?

To give an example, take the case of an economist measuring the relative economic output of two countries. Suppose that, if his analysis were to reflect the high value he places on women’s stay-at-home work by including this work, he would arrive at a different conclusion from if his analysis were to reflect a lack of value by omitting it. Do you think that, therefore, his conclusion either way would be: 1) subjective, but the subjectivity could be eliminated (Values-can-go view); or 2) subjective, and the subjectivity cannot be eliminated (Subjectivist position); or 3) not truly subjective at all because an objective, value-free, interpretation of the case can be given (Objectivist position).

Questions for discussion include:
1) Do values need to be involved in science, or can they be eliminated?
2) At what point in the scientific process do values come into play, e.g., are they involved in a way that bears on how theories are established, or on how they are explained, or in some other way?
3) If you agree that value is involved in science, what kind is it – moral (good vs. bad), political (practical concerns), or epistemic (what kind of knowledge is seen as preferable)?

First Fall Philosophy Club Meeting

2007-09-12T12:14:00.000-05:00

Attention all philosophy majors, minors, and students interested in philosophy: the first fall philosophy club meeting will be on Thursday, September 20 at 7:00pm. Though this is an informal meeting, it is the first meeting of the season, and we strongly encourage your attendance, especially if you would like to become a regular member for the fall. The meeting will be held in the philosophy department (in the library/conference room) on the 4th floor in the Humanities Building. Free food and drinks will be provided.

New Course for Fall!

2007-08-22T01:09:00.000-05:00

After much success, in her summer course on metaphysics, Dr. Sara Vollmer is back with an all-new course about the ethics of image manipulation and pictoral scientific representation. The course was just recently added to the schedule for fall, so if you're interested, sign up soon!

Here is a course description from Dr. Vollmer:
Ethics of Image Manipulation and How Scientific Knowledge is Represented in Pictures
Images play an important role in representing evidence for scientific belief and knowledge. In many fields of science, the images created are analogous to images of ordinary objects and as such, they are pictures of individuals as seen from certain perspectives at certain times.
However, science is supposed to be about kinds, not just individuals, and perspective-free. This creates a problem: how is the categorically different, perspectival, knowledge of pictures related to the objective knowledge of science? Moreover how, from the perspective-bound knowledge of images, is perspective-free scientific knowledge supposed to be generated?
In this course, we will study pictures in science and how they bear on these two kinds of knowledge. Pictures have a strong analogy to perception, and we will study how the knowledge represented in pictures is related to perceptual knowledge. A striking aspect of both perception and pictures is that the knowledge or information they carry can not just represent knowledge, but also suggests, in an integral way, how the knowledge was obtained. For example, a snapshot of a wristwatch, or a man looking at a wristwatch might not only convey, for example, “It is five o’clock” when the picture was taken, but also that this knowledge is gained through looking at a wristwatch. This aspect of pictures is related to their perspective-bound nature, and we will study the issue of how it is translated into perspective-free terms.
We will also examine the ethics of image choice and manipulation in science, including the ways in which images produce and justify knowledge, the ways they can be misused, and the legal consequences of misusing them. The course will teach some specifics surrounding how manipulations, such as cropping or cloning, can degrade or destroy the evidential basis for scientific hypotheses, and how this is related to the problem of producing objective conclusions from perspective-bound data.

Welcome Back Philosophy Students!

2007-08-22T00:56:00.001-05:00

Well, it's the beginning of another great semester here at UAB, and after having had a brief break over the summer, the philosophy club will now be back in session. This semester we'll continue to develop what we started last spring with more meetings, student readings and discussion, the continuation of the professor lecture series, and possible guest speakers. The first meeting will be a few weeks after school starts, so watch out for your email notification and/or check back here soon!

Dr. Vollmer to Teach Summer Course

2007-04-23T23:34:00.000-05:00

This summer, we're lucky to have Dr. Sara Vollmer teaching a new course entitled "Inventorying Everything There Is," an exploration of metaphysical issues regarding property-based and object-based ontology and the logical consequences of both. The course will be taught as a small group discussion/directed studies and is sure to be of interest to any philosophy student wanting a more in-depth venture into metaphysics. Below is a more detailed description of the course in Dr. Vollmer's own words:

SUMMER 2007 COURSE 3 credits SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION INVENTORYING EVERYTHING THERE IS DR. DR. S.H. VOLLMER 417HB
FOR MORE INFORMATION E-MAIL: vollmer@uab.edu OR CALL: 807-1129

A striking aspect of our experience of the world is that we are extraordinarily good at picking out and identifying objects. Most of us are very sure that, if anything exists, these objects exist. Objects are metaphysically fundamental and, when considering what we should commit to in inventorying everything that exists, that is, constructing an ontology, objects are the first things it would seem we should admit.
Having only objects in an ontology might seem like enough.
However, an ontology that admits only objects falls short in some ways. For example, it does not have the resources to permit us to say what makes two things, such as two people or two hunks of aluminum, similar at any fundamental, ontological, level. Because it cannot handle whatever it is, such as being human, or having a certain elemental mass, that makes two objects similar, it cannot account for whatever it is that divides objects into natural categories.
What seems to divide objects into categories according to similarity is their properties. Interestingly, science can be thought of as the enterprise of measuring properties, of saying what each one is, where it exists, and how it might be grouped with other properties into objects.
So, according to our ordinary intuitions, objects are fundamental. But, since properties are what is measured in science, it would seem that according to science, properties are fundamental.
In this course, we will consider the ramifications of admitting properties into an ontology. For example would the structure of what there is differ fundamentally if your ontology had only objects in it, from what it would be if it were to contain properties as well? If it contained properties, since these are usually common or shared by many numerically different objects, should the properties have many parts or, despite first appearances, should each property be considered as a singular entity?
Using the text “Metaphysics: a Contemporary Introduction” by Micheal Loux, we will address these and other issues, and interpret new papers by the philosopher Jonathan Shaffer. Our goal is to answer the question of how to construct an ontology useful in the context of science, which at the same time accommodates our ordinary intuitions.

2007 Professor Lecture Series Kickoff

2007-04-18T02:54:00.000-05:00

Starting Wednesday, April 18th we will be having one professor present a topic of his or her choice to the club (and anyone interested) every couple of weeks for a series of lectures that we hope will extend throughout the year and include all of the professors in the department. This lecture series is designed to allow for a more complete and ongoing discourse between the philosophy students and the faculty as well as to provide an opportunity to discuss topics not already covered in the current course selection. To start off this series, we will be having a double-header of sorts -- one lecture on Wednesday the 18th and then one again on Thursday the 19th. Dr. Whall will present Wednesday's lecture on aspects of aesthetic theory, and Dr. Stephens will provide Thursday's lecture on what has changed in philosophy since he was in graduate school. Each lecture will be at 7:00pm in the philosophy library (HB Rm 425A). We hope to see you there!

Graduate School Meeting

2007-03-14T16:32:00.000-05:00

Once we get back from Spring Break (hope everyone had a good one!), there will be a graduate school meeting hosted by Dr. Angner in the philosophy library (Humanities building, 4th floor) on Thursday, March 22 at 6:00pm. Dr. Angner will be discussing various aspects of pursuing a masters or Ph.D. in philosophy, like what to expect from grad school, what preparations to make now, what a career in philosophy is like, etc. This is the second annual meeting about graduate school in philosophy the department has had, and as always, it is sure to be good one. So please come along if you're interested!

The Intersection of the Arts and Sciences Lecture

2007-03-07T23:04:00.000-06:00

Dr. David Sweatt, Chair of the UAB Department of Neurobiology, will be giving a talk on Thursday, March 8 at 6:30pm in the Birmingham Museum of Art Steiner Auditorium on the relationship between the arts and the sciences.

Welcome to UAB Philosophy Club!

2007-03-06T16:56:00.000-06:00

This is the homepage for the UAB Philosophy Club where you can find up-to-date information on the events, news, and current projects we are involved in.