Department of Philosophy College of Charleston

Join the Department of Philosophy College of Charleston on Thursday, November 2nd at Alumni Center (86 Wentworth St) at 3:15 PM for Prof. Krasnoff's sabbatical lecture: Kant as Comprehensive Liberal.

Abstract: In a well-known essay, Thomas Pogge argues that Kant’s political philosophy is not comprehensive in Rawls’ sense, since it is independent of his moral philosophy. However, Pogge understands Kant’s comprehensive liberalism as the view that his moral philosophy entails his political philosophy. I question whether this is the best way to understand comprehensive liberalism in Kant. I argue that Kant’s comprehensive moral philosophy is not an independent argument for the moral truth of liberal ideals, but rather a liberal way of justifying an independent commitment to politically liberal values, given that we all have values that are not political.

Exciting news from Prof. Jennifer Baker 🎉🎉🎉

"Keith Smalls founded this organization to address the needs of formally identified at-risk youth in the Charleston area. We often work in the same neighborhood in which he grew up. I have been one of the executive board members since the start, since before we gained nonprofit status. In a few short years we have now been given a day by the City of North Charleston. For My Community's Keeper I teach a class on critical thinking during a block our nonprofit has been entrusted with at Greg Mathis High School, and we have also developed a new curriculum that combines critical thinking skills with techniques in cognitive behavioral therapy.

We are always looking for tutors and other volunteers who can teach applicable skills or mentor in developing career and business plans for these young people. We run philosophical book clubs, host discussion forums, and two different mentee groups on weekends."

Department of Philosophy's Spring 2024 Course Brochure is available online! The department will be hosting an advising party October 26th at 4:15PM at 14 Glebe St. Any student interested in taking a philosophy course is welcome to attend!

View brochure here:https://philosophy.cofc.edu/documents/spring-2024-course-brochure-v3.pdf

Join the Department of Philosophy College of Charleston on Thursday, October 19th at 4:15PM in the Alumni Center at 86 Wentworth St. for a lecture by new faculty member, Prof. Nicolas Delon!

His talk, "Why Urban Wildlife Matters, Yes, Even Rats." – A wide range of overlooked animals live among us—in our streets, our backyards, even our houses, right in our midst, at the edge of town, or underground. Until recently, urban critters had met only sparse academic interest, including in animal ethics. But they were hiding in plain sight. This talk will discuss: What do we owe rats, pigeons, raccoons, and coyotes? Is there anything morally distinctive about urban animals? What implications do they have for urban design and infrastructure?
We hope to see you there!

We're very excited about tomorrow's Vanished Voices lecture by Dr. Dwight Lewis, Jr. (University of Minnesota). Everybody is welcome!

The French, Francophone and Italians Studies is proud to co-sponsor, together with the Department of Music and College of Charleston Department of Classics, Dr. Melinda Latour’s presentation on "Musical Impressions: The Uses of Beauty in Stoic & Neostoic Therapy," an event hosted by the Department of Philosophy College of Charleston.

The use of musical sound as a remedy for physical and mental suffering was a through-line in the European cultural tradition–––offering miraculous and mundane treatments for everything from lovesickness to widespread civil discord. The most influential source of these views was the Pythagorean/Platonic lineage. However, a related tradition of therapy with clear musical applications gained traction with the revival of Stoicisim between the 1580s and the 1630s in French lands fractured by the Wars of Religion. The composer Paschal de L’Estocart offered early musico-poetic examples of this fascinating Stoic resurgence, for his music collections published in 1582 feature richly illustrated musical and visual settings of Stoic and Neostoic texts. The laudatory poetry and other liminal materials prefacing these prints offer insights into how these musical settings modeled an aesthetically-driven mode of therapy for moderating destructive emotions and restoring harmony in both the individual soul and the state.

Friday, September 22, 2023
4:15 PM – 6:00 PM
Alumni Center
86 Wentworth St

Please join in a discussion of community-generated suggestions for policies that might reduce gun violence in the Charleston area. Everyone's perspective is needed. May 7th, 2pm, Wells Fargo Auditorium in the School of Business on Liberty Street.

Professor Nadelhoffer's "Chronic Pain, Mere Difference, and Disability Variantism" is already being taught in philosophy courses, by professors now recommending others include it in their syllabus. That's a well-appreciated paper.

Free registration for MUSC's annual medical ethics conference, which you can view by livestream this Friday as you can. This year's focus is The Ethics of Organ Transplantation. Speakers on: the experience of donation and transplant, the science of xenotransplantation, the ethics of new methods of organ extraction, disability and transplant, the laws concerning organ donation, the guidelines for receiving, and finally the issue of family objections to donation. Speakers include: Thaddeus Pope, JD, PhD, HEC-C, Enbal Shacham, PhD, Aaron Wightman MD, Michael Nair-Collins, Ph.D., Robert Montgomery, MD, PhD, Ana S. Iltis, PhD, John “Trey” Entwistle MD, PhD.

Registration: https://education.musc.edu/.../thomas-pitts.../register
The schedule of talks: https://education.musc.edu/-/sm/education/leadership/provost/human-values/f/thomas-pitts-memorial-lecturship-in-medical-ethics-2023.ashx

Professor Hough has a new play being produced as a staged reading on March 23rd and March 24th at Chapel Theatre (172 Calhoun Street). Both performances are at 7:30PM and admission is free. Don't miss! Those of you who have read Hough's work know that this will be extraordinary.

Thanks to Professor Nancy Zisk of Charleston School of Law for her riveting lecture to our bioethics students on the role philosophy continues to play in case law.

Philosophy students Chloe Biddle and Anna Albright gave excellent presentations on campus today, their arguments concerned moral exemplars and gender and the philosophical underpinnings of friendship.

Today is CofC's annual giving day. The Philosophy Department at CofC would like to do do even more to support its students. While we have extraordinary faculty who dedicate serious time to help students develop their research interests, the financial resources provided at a South Carolina state institution often fall short of the work our students put in. We've set up a Student Opportunity Fund aimed directly at supporting the work of philosophy students. We would appreciate any support you might throw their way! Thanks! https://cofcday.cofc.edu/campaigns/philosophy-department

In gratitude for, and memory of, philosopher Martin Perlmutter, who had a tremendous and ongoing impact on the Charleston and College of Charleston community.

Former Jewish Studies Director Leaves Lasting Legacy Above: Marty Perlmutter (second from left) in 2017 at a Food and Faith event co-sponsored by the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program. Marty Perlmutter, former College of Charleston faculty member and director of the Jewish studies program, died on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, at the age of 79.

The Department of Philosophy at the College of Charleston is excited to announce that we are searching for a tenure-track assistant professor of Environmental Ethics or Bioethics. Spread the word! https://jobs.cofc.edu/postings/13386

Have you thought about possibly going to graduate school in philosophy? Tonight, we’re hosting a free online session all about grad school in philosophy — what it’s like, how you get in, why do it, and more. It’s at 7:30pm. Details are on the flyer.

Take a look at this article on the work of Professor Deborah Boyle and visiting scholar Manuel Fasko, from the University of Basel, in the College Today. They are working together on women philosophers in the history of philosophy this year at the college of Charleston and will be co-teaching a 300-level course together in the spring. Fasko will be giving a talk Thursday, Sept 8 on Mary Shepherd.

Professor Rewrites History of Early Modern Philosophy to Include Women When Deborah Boyle first focused in on early modern philosophy as her area of academic interest, she never expected she’d be changing the way the history of philosophy is told – much less doing anything cutting edge. After all, it’s hard to be a pioneer in a subject that’s been studied close...

Take a look at what Lauren Graves, Gavin Markovic, Taralyn Goodson, Miles Freeman, Jessica Davis, Tyra Culpepper, and Taylor Mills have been up to. These “Socratic Scholars” have spent the last three years leading discussions on tricky topics of philosophical relevance, ranging from vaccine ethics to retributivism in the criminal justice system. The group is led by Professor Jennifer Baker, who won a multi-year grant from the University of Notre Dame and the Mellon Foundation to support each student with $1000 to complete this valuable philosophical work. Congratulations to them all!
https://today.cofc.edu/2022/08/25/socratic-scholars-program-empowers-students-to-lead-challenging-dialogues/

Socratic Scholars Program Empowers Students to Lead Challenging Dialogues What would Socrates think about Twitter and TikTok? Would he be disappointed that the 3,000-year-old Socratic Method of debate has been replaced with 280 characters and 35 second videos? If so, the philosopher’s sinking disappointment would be buoyed by College of Charleston students Lauren Graves...

Congratulations to philosophy major Gavin Markovic, whose essay, "Retributivism, Rehabilitation, and Public Policy," won the award for the best undergraduate paper presented at the South Carolina Society for Philosophy conference, held this past weekend at Converse University. This is the first time the prize has been awarded since before the pandemic, in 2019, and the first time a College of Charleston student has won the award since 2011.

Great work, Gavin!

https://www.southcarolinaphilosophy.org/awards

Awards | scsp Contingent on quantity and quality of submissions, the SCSP awards three cash prizes at its annual conference, recognizing excellence by a non-tenured faculty member (affiliated with a SC-based institution), a graduate student (since 2022, from any institution), and an undergraduate (affiliated with...

Trust and Ex-Offenders: A Conversation with Professor Zachary Hoskins (Nottingham)

Wednesday March 16, 2:00 pm
On Zoom: https://cofc.zoom.us/j/83437577375

Philosopher Zachary Hoskins will join a discussion with Professor Ewan Kingston and the students in his senior seminar on Trust, Distrust and Trustworthiness.

Professor Hoskins has published a book and several articles on the moral and political philosophy of society's treatment of ex-offenders (those who have served their sentences).

In this conversation, we will be specifically interested in appropriate trust in ex-offenders, and what policies might help facilitate appropriate levels of trust.

The conversation will be a very brief presentation by Hoskins followed by an open Q+A session with the audience. I recommend looking at Hoskins' paper "Ex-Offender Restrictions" for background:

philosophy.cofc.edu/content/documents/hoskins-ex-offender-restrictions.pdf

All are welcome: I hope to see you there!

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"No matter what criminal justice reform we push for, the underlying issue is the 13th amendment." Philosophy major Gavin Markovic interviews Brian Howard about his experiences and insights concerning our criminal justice system. This is particularly good and far-ranging and was of great help to our Philosophy 315 students studying criminal justice reform. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVTzDU4sEOc

Brian Howard Interview for the College of Charleston Brian Howard spoke to students in Philosophy 315: Social and Political Philosophy on the topic of criminal justice reform.

Very proud to learn that Philosophy Department alum Jake Webb was accepted into several top programs and will be attending Duke Divinity School this fall!

New research published in The Philosophical Quarterly from Philosophy Department alum Javier Gomez-Lavin (now of York University). Could not be more proud!

Why We Need a New Normativism about Collective Action Abstract. What do we owe each other when we act together? According to normativists about collective action, necessarily something and potentially quite a bit.

For your summer reading, Professor Nadehoffer's "Piercing the Smoke Screen: Dualism, Free Will, and Christianity" is out now in Journal of Cognition and Culture 21(1-2):94-111.
DOI: 10.1163/15685373-12340098

www.researchgate.net

Very glad to announce that our department has been chosen to participate in "Bridging Differences Community of Practice" through the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. The aim is to foster relationships "across lines of difference within higher education." Locally, Dr. Baker will be partnering with My Community's Keeper.

This Maymester's Bioethics students are so grateful for Dr. Shelly Ozark's visit to the course today. What a fascinating lecture and discussion.

This HSS Feature Friday we salute members of the dedicated HSS faculty who go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of first-year students! They help to ensure that students make a smooth transition to college life and have a great start to their College of Charleston journeys. ✨
At the end of the academic year, FYE asks all first-year students to recognize any individual on campus who has made an impact on their first-year. These HSS faculty members were selected for their outstanding service!! 👏👏
Richard Bodek, History
Christopher Boan-Lenzo, Sociology
Adam Domby, History
Thomas Nadelhoffer, Philosophy
Kathleen Beres-Rogers, English
Paul Roof, Sociology
Claire Wofford, Political Science
Thank you all for your kindness and service and for making a difference in the lives of students!
Learn more and see all the winners: https://fye.cofc.edu/fye-awards/index.php

Join members of the armed forces with Dr. Baker and philosopher Nancy Sherman as we discuss the relevance of philosophy to military service. Registration here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stoicon-x-military-conference-courage-honor-and-stoicism-tickets-138626889759

So proud of you, Kim!

Exceedingly proud of our upcoming graduates. Congratulations and thanks for all of the hard work.

Here is Philosophy Department Chair Larry Krasnoff's note marking the death of our colleague and friend Richard Nunan:

It is my very sad duty to report that my friend and colleague Richard Nunan, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, died last night. He had been ill with brain cancer since early last summer, and retired from the College in December 2020.

Richard came to the College in 1984, and taught here for 36 years. Though his parents were Irish, he grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He received his B.A. in mathematics from Vassar College and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He specialized in political philosophy and especially philosophy of law, and he served as the editor of the American Philosophical Association’s newsletter on philosophy of law for many years. But his scholarship was wide-ranging: his more than 35 published articles also included significant essays in gender studies and in film studies.

His teaching was equally versatile. Though he was happy to teach philosophy of law, he was just as happy to teach classes on such topics as symbolic and modal logic, the representation of LGBT individuals in film, medieval philosophy, and time travel in philosophy, physics, and film. He taught for many years in the Honors Western Civilization colloquium, and there lectured frequently not just on moral and political philosophy but also on the history and philosophy of science.

Richard’s record of service was extensive. He served as chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, as interim chair of the Department of Religious Studies, as pre-law advisor, and as chair of seven different faculty committees. On all of these committees, as a faculty senator, and as the AAUP representative, he was a tireless advocate for the quality of our institution and the importance of shared governance.

In everything he talked and wrote about, Richard combined a skeptical realism about how institutions actually work with an unstinting idealism about how they ought to work. It was an unsettling combination, and Richard was unsparing when things fell short of moral standards, as they so often do. But for all of that, Richard was one of the gentlest and kindest men I have ever met. His contributions to our program and our institution were extraordinary, and he will be very badly missed.

Richard is survived by his wife, Victoria West, his two daughters, Rebecca and Alix, and Rebecca’s husband and children. Given the ongoing pandemic, there are no immediate plans for a memorial service. Contributions in Richard’s memory should be sent to the Scholarship Enrichment Fund here at the College. Notes to Victoria should be sent to 612 McCants Drive, Mt. Pleasant SC 29464.

Larry Krasnoff
Professor and Chair
Department of Philosophy

Please join us! Register here: https://cofc.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tcOiprT4pEt1VOSXZyT_8lpbrKNFI64c0

Please share. Tonight at 6pm on Zoom or Live through Facebook. https://today.cofc.edu/2021/03/23/cofc-to-host-a-series-of-virtual-discussions-addressing-gun-violence/

CofC to Host a Series of Virtual Discussions Addressing Gun Violence While COVID-19 has struck our community with obvious force, a less obvious epidemic has been ravaging our community for years: gun violence. In an effort to address gun violence, the College of Charleston will present a series of online forums over the next week. The