12th annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference features; “The Human Project”.
The Department of Philosophy and in conjunction with the Lyceum (the Student Philosophy Club), host a colloquium for undergraduate students to share in philosophical dialogue at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. A general call for papers is circulated inviting students to submit papers they have written on any topic of philosophical interest for presentation. In conjunction with the conference proceedings, a distinguished scholar is invited to deliver a keynote address and to personally interact with conference participants about their research and interests in philosophy. The conference promotes pluralism, collegiality, and philosophically complex thinking.
Dr. Christopher Pearson, Associate Professor, says, “The Undergraduate Conference is absolutely one of the highlights in the academic year for the philosophy department. It is a chance for us to open our doors to students from a diverse collection of colleges and universities and engage in philosophical practice on a broad range of issues.”
The Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference at SIUE is an entirely student run event. Since its inception, each year the Illinois Pi chapter of Phi Sigma Tau elects a lead organizer of the conference. From 2014 on wards, the new Philosophy student group, The Lyceum has taken the lead in organizing, though all of the members and other volunteers help to organize the conference. They raise funds to support the event; select and invite a keynote speaker; draft and circulate the Call for Papers; anonymously review submissions; decide upon a final program; make all of the necessary arrangements for the actual conference; and participate in the proceedings. “There is always faculty adviser to guide students through this process, this helps students get ready for their Senior Assignment project,” says Pearson. The conference demonstrates what students, in the spirit of philosophical community and scholarly inquiry, can accomplish.
The conference will start the afternoon of Friday October 20 and run all day Saturday October 21st. All conference proceedings will take place in the Morris University Center Meeting Room A. The keynote address will be delivered by Philip Kitcher, John Dewey Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University. His talk is entitled “The Human Project” and will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday.
All conference events, including the keynote address, are free and open to anyone interested.
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