Fresno State Philosophy Department

Welcome back to the new semester, everyone!

Stay tuned for updates about new faculty and events.

Mark your calendars: On Sept 12, 2024, there will be an event in the Peace Garden [between the library and the PHS building]: the new Nelson Mandela statue will be unveiled! Details soon.

As always, feel free to drop in and meet students and faculty in the PhilZone [Music Building, R 104]!

Congrats Darius!!

Student Spotlight
As Darius Angel Ibarra approaches his graduation this spring with a major in Philosophy, he will transition from a part-time to a full-time position as an Admissions Counselor at San Joaquin College of Law. https://bit.ly/3uqWZRv

One more week left of classes! You got this!

Today on Artful Discourse...
Dr. Veena Howard discusses the grand opening of the M.K. Gandhi Center: Inner Peace and Sarvodaya, and her student, Alireza, talks about what he learned from fasting. https://www.fsrunderground.org/
10 a.m. (Sat) on FSR Underground

Congrats to our Chair, Dr. Robert Maldonado on his retirement! Please read more here, and also check out his photography at the end of the interview!

9 questions with retiring philosophy chair Dr. Robert Maldonado Dr. Robert Maldonado, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy, is retiring this fall. He has been with Fresno State since 1991. We sat down with Dr. Maldonado to hear more about his 32 …

The Philosophy Department is very pleased to announce the graduation of Lisedth G. Rodriguez, who graduates with a B.S Business Administration, Management and a Minor in Philosophy. Congrats Lisedth!! Please see Lisedth’s graduation speech below:

“I am proud of my accomplishments thus far and excited for what's to come. I am beyond grateful for the support given to me by everyone in the Philosophy department. I want to especially thank Dr. Rocha for guiding and helping me receive my minor. He has been there to answer my questions and extend a helping hand. Philosophy has helped me become a better individual, student, and professional. I am glad to begin my career in the financial industry and utilize the tools, skills, and abilities I have learned through Philosophy to enhance my career.”

On this graduation weekend, we are excited to congratulate Izzy Maldonado, who is graduating with a major in Philosophy and minor in Forensic Behavioral Sciences. Congrats Izzy! Please see Izzy’s graduation speech below:

“Even though it was a long and enduring one, I finally made it. I am especially thankful for Dr. Fiala’s ethics class which I believe kickstarted my love for philosophy and the multiple classes semester after semester I took with Dr. Rocha. Every philosophy class I took there was something eye opening about it; it would either fuel my continuous existential crisis or end it for a couple of days. There are countless others I can thank, but it would never be enough! The thing I am most proud of in my time here as a philosophy major is getting an A on a paper in Rocha’s class about the psychopathy of Joe Goldberg, using Kant and Aristotle’s ideology. As of now I plan to take a year off and then pursue a masters in criminology here at Fresno State. Lastly in honor of my father, I’d like to make a pun about philosophy, but I simply Kant. ”

On graduation day, we are thrilled to congratulate Jaiden Catherine Danielle Johnson, who graduates today with a B.A. in Philosophy! Please see Jaiden’s graduation speech:

"I am a proud first-generation graduate of my family. I have worked extremely hard for this milestone and am grateful to have made it this far! I am hired to be a Teacher for the Lemoore Union Elementary School District for next year, and hope to continue being a Multiple Subject Teacher for years to come. I would like to thank everyone who helped get me here. I did not believe that I could go to a university and there were moments I did not think I would ever graduate or obtain my B.A. This was truly an effort of my community: my family, friends, professors, peers, faculty, coworkers, and even employers. Without everyone else's sacrifice, patience, generosity, and support I would not be walking across this stage today. Thank you all for getting me here!"

The Philosophy Department is excited to announce the graduation of Macy Lemos, with a B.A. in Philosophy, Pre Law and a Legal Studies Certificate. Congratulations Macy! Please see Macy’s graduation speech below:

“Throughout my time here at Fresno State, I have experienced many accomplishments, challenges, and experiences that have helped shape me into the person I am today. I am very grateful to have had such a wonderful experience within the Philosophy department and I sincerely thank all of my professors for being so amazing. One of my greatest accomplishments from my time at Fresno State is receiving Dean’s List recognition for four semesters and President’s List recognition for one semester. Another one of my accomplishments was being chosen to be one of the speakers for the 2022 Voicing Ideas Student conference, which highlighted the work of a few Philosophy students at Fresno State. I presented my paper titled “COVID-19 and the Harm Principle” which discussed how the pandemic and actions taken to remedy it aligned with philosopher John Stuart Mill’s “harm principle”. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for giving me endless love and support throughout my college career.”

The Philosophy Department is truly honored to see Elsie Howard graduate with a BA in Philosophy! Please join us in congratulating Elsie! Elsie’s graduation speech: “My time at Fresno State would not have been the same without the support of the Renaissance Scholars Program. Thank you to Ofelia, Juan, and all the staff at RSP. Thank you to Dr. Rocha for being so helpful and making his classes so engaging. I never got the chance to make a veiled threat, and I will always regret that. Thank you to Dr. Tais for being so passionate that it was impossible to not pay attention, and to Dr. Anagnostopoulos for helping me appreciate ancient philosophy, no matter how much I resisted. Thank you to my coworkers, friends and family for your support, but especially Adam Rowell who has sacrificed so much to help me achieve this goal. I will miss Fresno State but am a ! I plan on starting a Master's program in the fall and have accepted a position with Beneficial State Foundation as an Underwriting for Racial Justice Associate Lead.”

Last Year’s Philosophy Student of Distinction:

From prison to promise: 1L Steven Hensley describes his unique path to Berkeley Law He aims to be a voice for those who have endured incarceration, homelessness, and hunger.

A Prussian Prude? Kant on S*x, Hooking Up, and Marriage

Philosophy Club
Speaker: Dr. James Rocha
February 24 (Tomorrow!) at 5 pm
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://fresnostate.zoom.us/j/83734453255?pwd=cWZVZ1U4V0lkYlhaWjc2eWFsMnpYUT09

Meeting ID: 837 3445 3255
Passcode: 710192