UTRGV Department of Philosophy

How can we approach the way we think things? How effective are the popular books and methods that talk about the subject? How can we think about the things within and without our control? These topics and more will be explored in Week 9 of Chautauqua on the Rio: “Philosophy & Critical Thinking”!

Though our other 2 speakers unfortunately could not make it, the show must go on with Dra. Mariana Alessandri being the star of the evening. Her presentation “Stoicism and Self-Help” will discuss the relationship between the Ancient Greek philosophy practiced by the Stoics and our modern culture of self improvement.

Everyone is welcome to visit this Friday evening to open their minds and think about new ideas and perspectives with Dra. Alessandri and your fellow attendees - only at Búho! 😊 🦉 📚

Come work in the UTRGV Philosophy Department! We are currently seeking applicants for Part-Time Lecturers https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/43094 and One-Year Appointment Lecturers https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/43105

Please see the job ads for more details.

careers.utrgv.edu

The final recently graduated philosophy major we are featuring is Rigo Peña! Congratulations on your achievements, Rigo!

1. Why did you choose to major in philosophy at UTRGV?

A Philosophy major allowed me to reach a compromise with all my goals and dreams. At a personal level, it gave me the necessary impetus for achieving self-growth and the opportunity for cultivating a meaningful existence. On a more professional level, it paired nicely as a double major with my English degree.

2. What and with whom was your first philosophy course? Why did it make you want to take more philosophy courses?

My first philosophy course was Intro to Social and Political Philosophy with Dr. Cory Wimberly. That’s when I realized I hardly knew myself or the world around me and there was real practical value in knowing that.

3. Which of the many philosophers or philosophical views you have encountered was the most interesting or influential, and why? Or: Which work of philosophy did you find most interesting or impactful, and why?

There were many, but I must single out Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche saw that it's essential for growth when the foundation of things like a sense of self are attacked or stirred by chaos or madness. This helped me get out of my shell and experience new things.

4. What is one of your best memories of studying philosophy at UTRGV?

Probably just talking philosophy with people. When the time was ripe for philosophical discussion, usually after a beer or two, I would toss in the, “So what makes a chair a chair?”. And just like that, I would turn a simple Friday night into a scene from a Socratic dialogue. Never a dull moment.

5. What are your plans after graduation?

Getting into grad school for English with a concentration in literature. And setting my sights even higher, perhaps a doctorate in the same field. I love exposing people to literature and offering the riveting insights of the ‘human condition’ within those mighty capsules of experience.

On a side note. A huge thanks to all the UTRGV philosophy faculty and fellow colleagues who made lectures and extracurricular activities memorable. You all will surely remain some of the most incredible people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

The next recently graduated philosophy major we are featuring is Jacob Peña. Congratulations on your achievements, Jacob!

1. Why did you choose to major in philosophy at UTRGV?

I chose to major in Philosophy because of a professor from STC named Dr. Lee Basham. He showed me that philosophy is more than just sitting on a stump; it is critical thinking, free-thinking, and the art of intelligent thought—and thought-out questioning, not blind acceptance like history would have been if I had stayed on that course.

2. What and with whom was your first philosophy course? Why did it make you want to take more philosophy courses?

Dr. Basham it was an intro course. It made me want to continue because a few well-placed questions blasted away a crumbly foundation that I didn't know I had and helped me progress in critical thinking and not following blind acceptance anymore.

3. Which of the many philosophers or philosophical views you have encountered was the most interesting or influential, and why? Or: Which work of philosophy did you find most interesting or impactful, and why?

The most influential philosopher was Alfred North Whitehead and his ideas about concretion and his idea that God was an Organism. As for why the reason behind this is simple there are so many views such as there is a God, There is no God, There is God in the machine, or there are many Gods, but this view added a new option God in the Organism and I find it amazing and absolutely beautiful that after so many years Whitehead managed to plug in a new option to this ancient debate. As for your second question, it is the same Alfred North Whitehead and for the exact same reasons as above.

4. What is one of your best memories of studying philosophy at UTRGV?

Classes with Dr Thomas Pearson. His classes in Metaphysics opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking and of interest in the realms of Metaphysics and has shown me that questioning even the established in metaphysics is very much necessary for thought to move forward and human thought and possibly spirituality to grow into something new with new ideas coming forth.

5. What are your plans after graduation?

My plans after graduation are to apply to Baylor so I can continue my education and get my PhD in philosophy and come back to teach at the university level and bring the joys that both Dr. Basham and Dr. Pearson brought me in this field.

To continue our celebration of our recent philosophy major graduates, here is Kayla Randle! Congratulations on your achievements, Kayla!

1. Why did you choose to major in philosophy at UTRGV?

I chose to major in philosophy in large part because my boyfriend convinced me to. He said that because the humanities and reflection/discussion were my strong suits, the major would be a good fit for me. After graduating as a philosophy major, I am inclined to agree.

2. What and with whom was your first philosophy course? Why did it make you want to take more philosophy courses?

My first class was Intro to Philosophy with Dr. Angelika Potempa in the spring of 2020. Because it was the one class I was actually looking forward to during lockdown, I decided to continue forward with it.

3. Which of the many philosophers or philosophical views you have encountered was the most interesting or influential, and why? Or: Which work of philosophy did you find most interesting or impactful, and why?

James Baldwin is a deeply influential philosopher for me. His discussion of race, sexuality, and the world at large resonates deeply with me. James Maffie and his discussion of Aztec philosophy was also influential. I am enamored with ancient cultures and learning about aspects of their culture that are often intentionally neglected was an exciting experience. The Tao Te Ching was one of the first philosophy works I really got, and it's the book I recommend to people who don’t know where to start.

4. What is one of your best memories of studying philosophy at UTRGV?

My best memories involve my classmates saying something funny and making the professor and class laugh. I have always found my class environments to be delightful, and I have never found myself walking out of a class tired, fatigued, or regretful I ever took the class at all.

5. What are your plans after graduation?

I am planning to go for my master's in fine arts at UTRGV, specializing in textiles. After that, I plan to teach K-12 for several years before becoming a professor.

Our next recently graduated philosophy major is Catherine Guardado! Congratulations on your achievements, Catherine!

1. Why did you choose to major in philosophy at UTRGV?

The day that I met my advisor to speak about what I wanted to do with my life was the day I chose a major that was unknown to me. I told my advisor that my goal in life is to become a lawyer, and she replied with three options: political science, criminal justice with a minor in legal studies (since I already had an associate of criminal justice), or philosophy with a concentration in pre-law. So, I chose a major that I could not explain to my parents because I wanted to learn something new and enriching… Ha-ha.

2. What and with whom was your first philosophy course? Why did it make you want to take more philosophy courses?

My first philosophy course was PHIL 1312 Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy with Dr. Cory Wimberly. The class encouraged me to look deeper into the Valley's history and how it is constructed. It was the beginning of my search for why. Why do people act the way they do? Why is the universe the way it is? Just why?

3. Which of the many philosophers or philosophical views you have encountered was the most interesting or influential, and why? Or: Which work of philosophy did you find most interesting or impactful, and why?

Honestly, I did what most students do, I took pieces of what I studied to continue building who I am. However, the most recent and impactful philosophical views are by John Berger, in Ways of Seeing, and Laura Mulvey, in Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Both readings describe how women are presented as objects in art and films to the audience. To me, this was impactful –-not because I was not aware of it--but because regardless of what women do, they cannot change the image that individuals have of them without looking at themselves as strangers--from the eyes of the individuals looking at them.

4. What is one of your best memories of studying philosophy at UTRGV?

The best memories of my time here would have to be the Phil & Sophie’s Dialogues, the Philosophy Movie Nights, and my exit interview. In Phil & Sophie’s, I have enjoyed each of the dialogues we had throughout these past semesters – about Nature, Love, Grief, Closure, Death, etc. – because they feel as if we are in the dialogues that Plato has written about Socrates. The dialogues are interactive and bring more questions that individuals tend to stay silent about. And sometimes if you stay long enough, the café brings out free food. In Philosophy Movie Nights, you get free pizza! Ha-ha. Okay, but seriously… you watch a movie and realize that the movie is not just a movie: it is a message to something bigger. At the end of the movie (and the free pizza), everyone takes part in a dialogue about the movie to understand the message behind the movie. Trust me, these movies NEED these dialogues. As for my exit interview, I was able to show all my favorite professors--Dr. Michael Butler, Dr. Jeffrey Morrisey, Dr. Thomas Pearson, Dr. Dahlia Guzman, Dr. Stephen Leach, Dr. Matthew Wester--how much I have learned throughout all the trauma of studying. And sitting in front of Dr. Morrisey made the interview so much more exciting, ha-ha. I was glad to share one more laugh with all of them on that day--May 7th, 2024. Ha-ha, I was especially happy to be able to celebrate my graduation with them right after because I would not have grown to love philosophy without them.

5. What are your plans after graduation?

I am going to work in a law firm here in the valley while studying for my LSAT for Law School. I feel that my time here at UTRGV was incredibly short and that I still have so much to learn about philosophy. So, while I take a small break, I will be reading more and continuing my philosophical journey.

To continue our celebration of our recently graduated philosophy majors, here is Miguel Medina! Congratulations, Miguel!

1. Why did you choose to major in philosophy at UTRGV?

Funny enough, philosophy was my minor... until I met the philosophy department. It was love at first lecture, I was hooked.

2. What and with whom was your first philosophy course? Why did it make you want to take more philosophy courses?

The first course I had was an Engineering Ethics course with Doctor Michael Jaworski. Building a friendship with him, and in the process learning what philosophy is capable of, made me want to continue investigating the mysteries of the cosmos through a hermeneutic lens.

3. Which of the many philosophers or philosophical views you have encountered was the most interesting or influential, and why? Or: Which work of philosophy did you find most interesting or impactful, and why?

I am particularly fond of Leibniz for his research on monads, a non-atomist perspective on phenomenological particle research that predates our knowledge of quarks by nearly four hundred years! His lessons prove the power of philosophic writing, for it is unburdened by academia and thus offers a wider array of perspectives with which to syllogize.

4. What is one of your best memories of studying philosophy at UTRGV?

Becoming the president of the A*O was my strongest accomplishment, but ultimately my fondest memories are the afternoons spent under the sun marveling as it shone through the trees, of watching shadows play on academic brick, and most dearly, reveling in the memories of my various lectures. Philosophy truly is my passion.

5. What are your plans after graduation?

I am seeking a publisher for my book Verae, On What Is: Practical Wisdom of the Modern Era. Beyond that, I have applied to the Master's program titled "Master's of Science in Global Trade Management", which will doubtlessly foster tremendous wisdom that I shall come to rely upon in my future political and philosophic endeavors. Lastly, I plan to attend Christ University in India for their unique Doctoral program titled "Philosophy in Law". Beyond that, it is all politics and philosophy. I am glad to say that this whole journey truly began at UTRGV.

We are continuing to celebrate our recently graduated philosophy majors! Our next graduate is Chris-Ana Garcia. Congratulations, Chris!

1. Why did you choose to major in philosophy at UTRGV?

"My mother had just died, and I was a grieving mess." I was sedating myself with alcohol and pills to cope with the pain of losing my mother. "I was headed to a very dark and lifeless place. My life felt meaningless. I needed to bring meaning back into my life. I was pursuing a nursing degree at the time of my mother's death, but after what I experienced at the hospital with my mom, I could no longer become a nurse. A good friend of mine suggested philosophy. My pursuit of knowledge, answers about life, and change led me to philosophy."

2. What and with whom was your first philosophy course? Why did it make you want to take more philosophy courses?

My first philosophy class was Dr. Warfield's Ethics, Happiness, and Good Life. This class allowed me to reflect on my own personal life. It broadened my perspectives and preconceived notions of so many different things and gave me a better understanding of where I want my life to go. Dr. Warfield and Dr. Morrissey’s lectures pulled me out of some dark places. Their lectures helped me see a different side to life—a life worth living.

3. Which of the many philosophers or philosophical views you have encountered was the most interesting or influential, and why? Or: Which work of philosophy did you find most interesting or impactful, and why?

There is a movement among women—a dark shadow of the remembrance of what women have been fighting for years. Dr. Mariana Alessandri's book, Night Vision, was an inspiration to me. In today's modern times, it is unimaginable to think that women's rights are slowly being stripped away. Dr. Alessandri's book couldn't have come at a better time. It is, in a sense, a reflection of what so many of us are feeling, yet we are told not to feel sadness, be depressed, or grieve. We suppress our feelings and emotions because happiness is the right way to be. Night Vision has allowed me not to feel bad for feeling bad. Dr. Alessandri is an amazing writer and philosopher. She is a woman I admire and look up to.

4. What is one of your best memories of studying philosophy at UTRGV?

PWOL [The Philosophy as a Way of Life program]

5. What are your plans after graduation?

I hope to get a job at the university, and this summer, I plan on applying for the MBA program for the fall semester.

We are featuring some of our philosophy majors who recently graduated on May 9th and 10th! Our first student is Valerie De Leon. Congratulations on your impressive achievements, Valerie!

1. Why did you choose to major in philosophy at UTRGV?

I always knew I wanted to become an attorney, but after seeing I could go about getting a Pre-Law degree through philosophy I knew it was the right choice as it seemed much more interesting than regular legal studies.

2. What and with whom was your first philosophy course? Why did it make you want to take more philosophy courses?

I took Race, Sexuality, and Class with Dr. Warfield and was very intrigued with his assigned reading especially how there are deeper meanings behind social interactions, but after taking Intro to Philosophy and seeing actual theories that had been developed over centuries I knew I wanted to pursue it as a degree.

3. Which of the many philosophers or philosophical views you have encountered was the most interesting or influential, and why? Or: Which work of philosophy did you find most interesting or impactful, and why?

I have always found the teachings of Simone de Beauvoir very interesting, mainly the idea that the patriarchy reinforces gender roles, taking everyone’s autonomy away. I find it especially impactful as the patriarchy harms men as well, limiting their opportunities and liberty of expression, but many see feminism as a way for only women to gain power rather than a way of finding balance.

4. What is one of your best memories of studying philosophy at UTRGV?

During the very last day of Ancient Philosophy, Dr. Guzman brought us homemade cookies as a treat and it showed how the department really sees students as individuals and wants us to be happy.

5. What are your plans after graduation?

I was offered a position as a Legislative Intern at the Texas House of Representatives in Austin and will be getting hands-on experience for a year before going to law school the following year and hopefully one day becoming an attorney.

Dr. Chris Gomez is offering an Intro. to Latin American Philosophy course in Brownsville in the Fall 2024 semester. PHIL 1305-01E meets MW 2-3:15 p.m. and will be taught in Spanish. (The E stands for Español.)

Please see the poster for more details. For more information, please contact [email protected].

We are thrilled to announce that philosophy major Cecilia Moran has been admitted into the Rutgers Summer Institute for Diversity in Philosophy. Rutgers will cover her transportation and hotel expenses and give her a stipend to cover the rest of her expenses. What an impressive achievement, Cecilia! Congratulations!

The UTRGV Department of Philosophy is cosponsoring this cool event honoring the late, great Gloria Anzaldúa. The event, titled El Retorno: El Valle Celebra Nuestra Gloria, with special guest Alma López, is on Wednesday, May 15th, in Edinburg! Free to the public. Please see the poster for more details.

Phil and Sophie's held its final meeting of the Spring 2024 semester. This was also special as it was Dr. Mike Butler's final Phil and Sophie's meeting. Thank you, Dr. Butler, for all you've done in creating and sustaining Phil and Sophie's over the last several years at UTRGV.

The Brownsville Philosophy Club held its final meeting of the spring semester on Wednesday night! Chris Phillippe presented his paper, "A Phenomenological Approach to Legal Epistemic Injustice," he recently published in Stance: An International Undergraduate Philosophy Journal! Photo by club President Dani Morquecho.

Dr. Danny Marrero is offering a Religion, Spirituality and Ecology course (PHIL 3352-01) in Fall 2024!

Our environmental tragedy is not scientific or economic but ethical. Why, given that the relevant facts of climate change science are known, is effective action so difficult? Do the world religions have something to say about our environmental tragedy?

In this course, we will explore the ecological dimensions of the world religions and their potential responses to our environmental tragedy.

Monday and Wednesday | 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Brownsville Campus | BMSLC - Music, Sci & Lrng Ctr | Room 1.112

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Congratulations to the three Philosophy majors—Martha Castillo De Leon, Selena Lagasse, and Rigoberto Pena—and all other students from the College of Liberal Arts who recently earned the B3 (Bilingual, bicultural, biliterate) Scholar Seal! What an impressive achievement!

Yesterday, the Philosophy Department’s Pre-Law Program held its inaugural Undergraduate Conference on Law and Social Justice on the Edinburg campus. It was a great success. Congratulations to the conference’s participants for their excellent presentations. Special thanks to the Pre-Law program’s Dr. Danny Marrero, Dr. Kevin Jobe, and Nicole Holland for their hard work organizing the conference. And special congratulations to Vivian Uribe for winning the inaugural Potempa Prize for the best undergraduate student paper. Thanks as well to Dr. Greg Gilson, Dr. Thomas Pearson, and especially to Dr. Angelika Potempa for giving the conference’s keynote address.

Faculty members Alex Stehn, Danny Marrero, Chris Gomez, Dahlia Guzman, Mariana Alessandri, Kevin Jobe, Melisa Vivanco, and Brad Warfield met in Brownsville last Thursday as part of the Philosophy Department’s PB3 project “Pluralizing Philosophical Languages and Cultures in the South Texas Borderlands.”

Photos by Melisa Vivanco

The UTRGV Philosophy Department’s Pre-Law Program presents an Undergraduate Conference on Philosophy of Law and Social Justice!

Friday, April 19th, 9 am to 4 pm, in ESCNE 2.106

The keynote speakers are Dr. Angelika Potempa and Dr. Thomas Pearson

There will be a $250 Potempa Prize awarded to the best paper submitted.

There will also be free coffee and lunch. All majors are welcome! Please come out and support our students’ outstanding research!

Sponsored by UTRGV and the UTRGV College of Liberal Arts

For accommodations, please contact Dr. Kevin Jobe at [email protected]. Please scan the QR code to see the conference program.

Flier by Nicole Holland

The Brownsville Philosophy Club presents another Noche de Cine!

As part of the Philosophy Department’s B3 project “Pluralizing Philosophical Languages and Cultures in the South Texas Borderlands.”

We will watch a 2004 Spanish-language dramatic film following the story of a Colombian girl who becomes a drug mule for a trafficking ring.

*with English subtitles* A bilingual philosophical discussion will follow. There will be pizza!

Thursday, April 18th, 5:30 pm, in BSABH 1.106. All are welcome!

Poster by

The Brownsville Philosophy Club had a great meeting at Búho last night. Thank you to all who attended. Thank you to Dani Morquecho for coordinating it. And a special thanks to Gilbert for hosting our club in his beautiful space. We appreciate it!

Here are some more pics from the New Mexico Texas Philosophical Society conference that we hosted on our beautiful Brownsville campus this past weekend! Thank you again to all who participated!

Melisa Vivanco Cynthia Paccacerqua

This Thursday, April 11th, at 11 a.m., the PB3 project "Pluralizing Philosophical Languages and Cultures in the South Texas Borderlands" and the Philosophy Pre-Law Concentration are hosting a virtual presentation on the Mexican constitutional reform to include indigenous populations as subjects of special legal protection (see poster). The presentation title is "La Reforma Constitucional Indígena y Afromejicana en Méjico 2024." All are welcome!

Six of our students will present their work at the Third Annual SIPCE conference! Congratulations to Dani Morquecho, Sofi Homes, Valeria Silva-Delgado, Daniela Salinas De Alba, Jasmine Mercado, and Diego Mendoza! Well done!

The following two students will present at the Panel: Nature and the Environment in Interdisciplinary Research.

Paper: “Future Generations as Agents of Environmental Activism” by Danahi Morquecho (UTRGV Undergraduate Student, Philosophy) and Sofia Homes (UTRGV Undergraduate Student, Philosophy).

LOCATION: ESTAC 1.103 ( Student Academic Center)
TIME: Friday, April 12th, 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

And the following four students will present at a panel on “Mental Health and Philosophy in the RGV.”

“Embracing Guilt: Collective Healing and Transformation” Valeria Silva-Delgado (UTRGV Undergraduate Student, Philosophy)

“A Defense of Jealousy” by Daniela Salinas De Alba (UTRGV Undergraduate Student, Biology)

“Are Panic Attacks Natural?” by Jasmine Mercado (UTRGV Undergraduate Student, Philosophy)

“Depressing Happiness” by Diego Mendoza (UTRGV Undergraduate Student, Economics)

LOCATION: ESTAC 1.101
TIME: Friday April 12, 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

Congratulations as well to Dra. Mariana Alessandri and Dr. Danny Marrero for their students' successful projects.

The 2024 SIPCE conference takes place April 11-12, 2024
Location: Education Complex, Student Academic Center, and Engineering Building at the Edinburg campus.

For detailed information regarding the conference program, please visit the Conference site.

Should you have any inquiries, please feel free to reach out to the conference organizers, Dr. Friederike Bruehoefener and Willson Guevara, at [email protected].

UTRGV School of Interdisciplinary Programs & Community Engagement

Check out the great Fall 2024 course offerings in Religious Studies!

If you have any questions, please contact Dra. Mariana Alessandri at [email protected]. Thanks!

The Brownsville Philosophy Club will hold its next meeting this Wednesday, April 10th, at 6:30 pm, Búho! We will discuss nature vs. nurture! Pizza will be provided. All students are welcome!

Thank you for your hospitality, !

For questions or accommodations, please contact Club President [email protected] or Faculty Advisor [email protected].
Poster by

The 2024 New Mexico Texas Philosophical Society conference hosted by UTRGV on the Brownsville campus was a great success! Thank you to the NMTXPS, especially Jackson Hoerth, Nathan Smith, and Mary Gwin, and to all the conference participants! It was also wonderful to see so many of our philosophy students attend. Special thanks to Dr. Melisa Vivanco, Dr. Greg Gilson, and Julie Silva for your hard work putting on this conference.

The 2024 Digital Worlds Workshop, hosted by Dr. Ian Werkheiser and Dr. Mike Butler, will be held online from April 19th to the 21st! This annual virtual workshop features new work by philosophers of technology from around the world.

Presented by the Department of Philosophy at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

For links to sessions, please contact [email protected].

For more information, please visit digitalworldsworkshop.wordpress.com.

All are welcome!

South Texas College's 4th Art & Memory Conference is happening this week! Check out the program for more information. All are welcome!

4th Art & Memory Conference | Library 4th Art & Memory Conference March 22, 2024Current & Upcoming Exhibits, Pecan Campusgotvos STC presents the 4th annual Art & Memory Conference Event Days: April 1 – 4, 2024 at the STC Pecan Campus The South Texas College Liberal Arts division, in conjunction with Library Services, presents the 4th ...

The UTRGV Department of Philosophy is hosting the 74th Annual Meeting of the New Mexico Texas Philosophical Society on the Brownsville campus on Friday, April 5th, and Saturday, April 6th!

Several UTRGV Philosophy faculty members will participate in the conference. All are welcome!

Special thanks to Dr. Melisa Vivanco for her hard work putting this conference together.

https://nmtx.org/