In November’s Philosophy Research Seminar, Dr Ori Beck from the University of Cambridge came to speak to us about Two Conceptions of Phenomenology. Audio from the talk can be found below.
Doctoral candidate Sarah Pawlett-Jackson publishes in Synthese
Congratulations go to our doctoral candidate Sarah Pawlett-Jackson (supervised by Sophie-Grace Chappell and Manuel Dries), who has published her article “Gestalt structures in multi-person intersubjectivity” in Synthese.
In the article, Sarah argues that there are gestalt principles underlying intersubjective interactions. Framed from the first-person perspective: I am able to recognise intersubjective interactions between multiple others who are not me. Sarah goes on to explore the consequences of these claims for the second-person standpoint.
Research Conference
Christopher Yorke submits PhD then criticizes supervisor
Congratulations to doctoral student Christopher Yorke, who submitted his dissertation on the work of the philosopher Bernard Suits at the end of September. He will also be presenting a paper on Suits to the Atlantic Region Philosophers Association conference hosted by St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. His title: ‘A Suitsian Critique of Pike’s Account of Sport’ (that is to say, Jon Pike).
Transgender debate in Scotland
Our very own Sophie-Grace Chappell has published a letter in The Herald giving a trenchant response to an earlier article by Stuart Waiton that complained of ‘the state pushing a harmful transgender agenda’. You can read her letter at https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/16956659.letters-were-transgender-because-thats-the-way-we-are-made/.
Visiting speaker: talk on AI and poetry (Oct 3rd 2018)
Philosopher Jonathan Phelan will be a guest speaker on Wednesday October 3rd 2018, at 2pm-4pm in Room 006 of Gardiner Building 1. Everyone interested is very welcome to attend.
Title: ‘A. I. Richards’: can artificial intelligence appreciate poetry?
Abstract: Artificial intelligence (artificial eloquence) ‘writes’ poetry but can A. I. critically appreciate poetry? This talk looks at the prospect of ‘artificial interpretation’. By ‘interpretation’ I have close reading in mind, which, in broad terms, can be divided into four stages: first reading, close analysis, the forming of an overall interpretation of a work and a final evaluative judgement. I shall argue, along with Lamarque, that emotional responses to poetry are not integral to literary critical interpretation and so not crucial in any debate about artificial interpretation. On the positive side, A.I. can detect patterns such as rhyme schemes and repeated words, as well as make illuminating links to etymology, allusion and historical context. Artificial interpretation may also be able to register self-reference, guess at neologisms and identify absent detail through comparison with similar poems. The problem is that A. I. has no way of detecting what matters in a poetic work i.e. a sense of significance is lacking. I offer this by way of an answer to the question ‘Can A. I. appreciate poetry’ and by way of a challenge.
Please contact Sheree Barbateau for information if intending to come (e.g. in case of an unexpected change to schedule).
‘Brilliant Darkness’ in Hanover, 9th October 2018
David Roden (Associate Lecturer on several philosophy modules, as well as a global figure in thinking about posthumanity) will be giving at talk in the Sprengel Museum in Hanover on October 9th. The event, entitled ‘Brilliant Darkness’ will involve David’s talk, a performance and a multimedia presentation. The theme will involve ‘different aspects of darkness in terms of things inaccessible for our thinking or possible strategies of thinking the unthinkable’. David’s talk will explore posthuman theory as an experimental practice, as opposed to a metaphysical theory of posthumans.
Transwomen and Adoptive Parents
The OU’s Sophie-Grace Chappell has written a blog post exploring the merits of an analogy she draws between transgender women and adoptive parents. Here is the start:
Maybe we should think of it like this: Transwomen are to women as adoptive parents are to parents. There are disanalogies of course, and the morality of adoption is a large issue in itself which I can’t do full justice to here. Still, the analogies are, I think, important and instructive.
For the rest, go to the philosophy blog, Conscience and Consciousness.
OU student begins a PhD at the Royal College of Art
David Johnson, who did his MA with us, has received funding to do his PhD at the Royal College of Art. He will be working on his dissertation, ‘Blind Aesthetics-Memory, Materiality and the Tactility of the Senses’. In the project he will test the idea that blindness can provide radical new insights into our understanding of the world and that the plastic arts can be a powerful way for blind people to express these insights. David is himself blind.
Many congratulations to David!
John Shand on Martha Nussbaum
John Shand, a long-standing tutor and research associate of the department, has published a review of Martha Nussbaum’s new book, The Monarchy of Fear in the Times Higher Education Supplement. The review is available here.
To read it, you have to register with the THES, but doing that does not commit you to anything.