Philosophy at the University of Melbourne

On Wednesday August 30 at 7pm, Peter Godfrey-Smith is giving the 2017 Annual Taylor–Lewis Philosophy Lecture. The talk will be about Materialism. All are welcome!

(Register here to make sure you get a seat.)

The 2017 Barry Taylor and David Lewis Philosophy Lecture Professor Godfrey-Smith is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the Graduate Center, CUNY (City University of New York), and Professor of History and Philosophy of Science (half-time) at the University of Sydney. He has previously taught at University of California San Diego, Stanford, Harvard,…

Welcome to our returning students, as well as those who are joining us for the first time this semester! — and an extra special welcome to students in our first year class “Philosophy: the Big Questions” with its first class at 2:15pm today, as well as students in Reason at Melbourne University, and Logic: Language and information , all with their first classes starting today. We hope this first day at University is a good one, and the first of many more.

PHIL10002 Philosophy: The Big Questions - 2013 This subject provides a general introduction to philosophy through an examination of four big questions: (1) Knowledge and scepticism. What is knowledge and do we actually know what we take ourselves to know? Can we rule out the hypothesis that we occupy some kind of Matrix world in which all our ap...

Philosophy: The Big Questions is our big first year introduction to Philosophy for Semester 1, which commences at the beginning of March. Check the handbook entry if you’d like to enrol, or find out what you’re missing out on.

Ever wondered whether you could be dreaming? Ever wondered what makes you, you?
Philosophy could be for you. Check out the handbook entry for "Philosophy: The Big Questions."
https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2013/PHIL10002

Good reasoning needn’t make you an unfeeling robot Some interesting recent research using neuroimaging gives us evidence that different brain systems activate in different reasoning situations.But before we get to that, try the following puzzles…

The 2013 Handbook is now available. So, if you want the list of Philosophy subjects from first year to third year of the undergraduate program, this is the place to look.

!B-ARTS-MAJ+1028 Philosophy - 2013 Philosophy is the study of the most fundamental aspects of reality and value. Every area of inquiry and endeavour—from art and history through politics and economics to biology and mathematics—generates philosophical issues about our world and our place in it…

Tomorrow is Open Day! Come and visit us at the Old Quad all day; enjoy the Philosophy Café with Colin Marshall at 11am (http://openday.unimelb.edu.au/events/20-Philosophy-cafe) or come and hear Greg Restall give a talk about studying philosophy at Melbourne, at either 1:15 (Public Lecture Theatre, Old Arts) or 2:45 (Theatre A, Old Arts). We look forward to seeing lots of you you there.

Open Day 2012 - Sunday 19 August, 10am - 4pm, The University of Melbourne.

Here's Dan Russell—who is with us for the first half of each year as the Seymour Reader in Ancient History and Philosophy—on the Good Life.

Happiness beyond retail therapy: A philosopher's view Philosopher Prof Dan Russell discusses the meaning of a good life and explores ways of achieving such a life. With host Jennifer Martin.

Upcoming Public Lecture:

Dan Dennett will give the annual Barry Taylor/David Lewis Philosophy Lecture this year.

"Free Will as Moral Competence"

TIME: Thursday April 12th , 6.30.
VENUE: Public Lecture Theatre, Old Arts Building, Ground Floor

ABSTRACT: A number of neuroscientists and commentators have recently suggested that there are important implications for free will arising from
recent research in neuroscience. But these claims all rely on a concept of free will that has no moral relevance, aside from providing us with a
better understanding of the importance of predictability for agents in competition

BIO: Dennett is a world famous philosopher and cognitive scientist, best known for his views that consciousness and free will are physical processes of the brain. An influential proponent of Darwinian ideas about evolution, Dennett has recently argued that religion should be understood in terms of evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He is the author of numerous books including Consciousness Explained, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, Kinds of Minds, Freedom Evolves, and Breaking the Spell.

RSVP: Admission is free. Bookings are required. Seating is limited. To register visit: http://alumni.online.unimelb.edu.au/danieldennett
For further information please contact Margaret Sullivan [email protected] or phone 03 8344 5142

Here’s Greg Restall on Logical Pluralism.

You can also listen his two-part talk on the history of logic in Australasia. Part 1: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/philosopherszone/stories/2007/1992998.htm and Part 2: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/philosopherszone/stories/2007/1998482.htm

Philosophers Zone — How many logics? If we think about logic at all, we probably think of it as one and indivisible - truth is truth and an argument is either valid or it isn't. But perhaps we need a logic that is more subtle than that, one that allows for degrees or truth. This, it turns out, is the Australian way.

Here’s our much missed colleague, Dr. Barry Taylor, on the Philosopher of the also much missed, David Lewis.

Philosophers Zone — The many worlds of David Lewis The American philosopher David Lewis was an important and puzzling figure. Many philosophers believe that we can talk about different possible worlds (a world in which John Kerry won the last US presidential election, for example, or a world in which Tom and Nicole are still married) but Lewis held...

Here’s the ARC Future Fellow, Neil Levy, on Neuroethics.

Philosophers Zone — A new branch of moral philosophy Neuroethics is a new field. It concerns the ethics of the science of the mind and the ethical questions that arise out of our growing knowledge of the way in which the mind works. Before the year 2000 there was little need for the term but rapid advances in the sciences of mind, and the rise of pr...

Listen to Professor Tony Coady on Ideals and Dirty Hands, and also on Morality and Political Violence — http://www.abc.net.au/rn/philosopherszone/stories/2008/2223849.htm

Philosophers Zone — Ideals and dirty hands - C.A.J. Coady What's wrong with moralism in politics? Can you be moral and advocate morality while at the same time being aware of your own moral failings? Can you at the same time be an idealist and a realist? And what about dirty hands? Do the supreme emergencies of political life sometimes mean that you mi...