1 - Words from the Chair 12 - Undergraduate Philosophy Conference 2 - Current Undergraduate Student: Abram Feldman 13 - Continuing Conversations 4 - Former Undergraduate Student: Seth Rokosky 13 - The Annual Fink and Bingham Awards 6 - Current Graduate Student: Kate McFarland 14 - Society for Exact Philosophy Conference 8 - Former Graduate Student: Roy Cook 14 - Words About Emeriti 10 - Dubrovnik Conference 14 - Undergrad Updates 11 - Under the Trees: Third Annual Undergrad Retreat 15 - Words About Students 12 - Vagueness Workshop 16 - Words About Faculty

WORDS FROM THE CHAIR

at irregular times throughout the day the calendar change seems rather — “in order to maximize the efficient peripheral. use of classroom space” we’re told, though some harbor the suspicion This autumn (or was it really late that the change was designed simply summer), we had the pleasure of to confound those who have grown welcoming to campus a wonderful accustomed to the old schedule. new colleague and five very Far more disorienting, though, is promising new graduate students. the complete renumbering of all of Professor Christopher Pincock joins our courses. I doubt that any of our us from the University of Missouri. faculty members are fluent in the new Chris specializes in the philosophy of numbering system; perhaps a few could science, with strong research interests be labeled “minimally bilingual.” Most in the philosophy of mathematics and of us are still at the “look it up in the the history of analytic philosophy. His foreign language phrase book” stage. particular area of recent research is focused on the role of mathematics There will be other adjustments for in science. Albert Einstein said, Don Hubin, chair, Department of Philosophy us to make, of course. But, disruptive “The most incomprehensible thing as the calendar conversion has been, about the world is that it is at all “That was it?! That was our whole it changes nothing about the core comprehensible.” The way that we summer?” I think faculty and students of what we do here: push forward comprehend the world, at least at the all had that reaction as we gathered the frontiers of knowledge and most fundamental level, is through back on campus in late August to understanding, ignite in our students mathematics. In his recently published begin Ohio State’s first school year a life-long love of learning, develop book, Mathematics and Scientific on the semester calendar in anyone’s their ability to critically examine Representation, Chris explores the recollection. the world around them, and train role that mathematics plays in our the next generation of professional scientific knowledge through its The new calendar will take some philosophers to do these things even role in scientific representations of getting used to by those who have better. When you’re in a classroom the world. been here for a while. Classes begin with a room full of inquisitive thinkers,

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES “Welcoming, because I to class were always thoughtful, and I very much enjoyed {Continued} WORDS FROM THE CHAIR knew it was something our office hour conversations.” I could spend a long time reading about and Abram considers all his courses useful and engaging. Last year, the most highly-regarded (Franklin & Marshall, London 11] and the annual Undergraduate studying, and terrifying He took further logic coursework with Stewart Shapiro, ranking of philosophical departments, School of Economics, University Philosophy Conference [see 12]. And, because it almost assured history with Allan Silverman, and ethics with Justin D’Arms. the Philosophical Gourmet Report, of St. Andrews), who is primarily those of us who are involved in the me I would never receive a The philosophy program also helped him prepare for ranked The Ohio State University interested in logic, the foundations OSU Center for Ethics and Human satisfying answer to all of his future career as a physician. Medical ethics, taught Department of Philosophy the best of mathematics, formal epistemology, Values Innovation Group oversaw my questions.” by Dr. Nakano, felt like a treat to him — “talking about department in the world for the and decision theory; Evan Woods an extraordinarily ambitious and, borderline ethical cases in medicine is something I would study of philosophy of mathematics. (Allegheny College), whose current we’re happy to say, successful year- When Abram enrolled at do in my free time!” Abram said. This achievement is the result of the interests include the history of long, university-wide “conversation” Ohio State as a philosophy highly significant research of Stewart analytic philosophy, philosophy on immigration—the Immigration major, his decision about Beyond philosophy and formal education in general, Shapiro, Neil Tennant, and Lisa Shabel. of language, and logic; and Kevin COMPAS [see 13]. which class to take first Abram is involved in many activities. He is the former vice Chris’s research contributes to our Wutke (University of California, Davis), was not hard to make. president of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and has been department’s research profile in this whose primary interests lie in moral This coming year promises to be He chose Symbolic Logic an event coordinator for the World’s Longest Barbecue, area, and adds new dimensions to it. philosophy and political and legal philosophically bustling, as well. In Abram Feldman with Lisa Shabel. “I could hosted on the Ohio State campus for the last two years. philosophy. This is a great incoming addition to its regular colloquium not have had a better introductory course to philosophy Of the barbecue, he said that, “running it is both a lot Chris’s wife, Tansel Yilmazer, joins class and we look forward to the series and the additional colloquia – the topics were so closely entwined to the math and of fun and very stressful; fundraising, marketing, and Ohio State as an assistant professor in contributions they will make to the sponsored by the Center for Ethics physics I loved; Dr. Shabel was enthusiastic and a fantastic even making sure shifts are filled is quite difficult, but the the Department of Human Sciences. intellectual life of the department. and Human Values, the department instructor, and it simply made sense,” he says. experience as a whole has been very rewarding.” We’re pleased to welcome both Chris will host a conference of the Society and Tansel to Ohio State. Last year was an active one for the for Exact Philosophy [see p. 14] in Lisa felt that Abram was a model student. She said, He has also participated in medical research, last year department. In addition to the mid October, and a mini-conference “Abram is a dream philosophy student. He is super smart, in cardiac electrophysiology at the Cleveland Clinic We also are delighted to welcome usual active colloquium series, we on Spinoza, organized by Tamar always engaged, and witty, and this past year in family our new graduate students: Mauro conducted or collaborated to produce Rudavsky, late in October. We look to boot. I am so fortunate medicine and hepatology Corneli (McGill University and other events. The department forward to an exciting year. to have had him in three THE PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM at MetroHealth Hospital in Concordia University), who is hosted a workshop on vagueness classes during his time here Cleveland. interested especially in early analytic [see p. 12], which brought together Please let us hear from you; we are ALSO HELPED HIM PREPARE at Ohio State.” philosophy and the philosophy of leading linguists and philosophers always interested in what our alumni FOR HIS FUTURE CAREER AS A For the last two years he also mathematics; Jenni Ernst (University to address the fascinating issues are doing. If you have a chance to From there, philosophy has worked at the Ohio State of Utah, University of Phoenix, and surrounding the semantics and visit campus, we hope you will stop PHYSICIAN. MEDICAL ETHICS, only got better for Abram. Hillel as a chef, cooking kosher Arizona State University), whose main pragmatics of vague terms. Other by the department for coffee and He took two history of TAUGHT BY DR. NAKANO, food for all patrons of the philosophical interests run toward department-related activities of the conversation. The welcome mat is philosophy courses with Lisa, café, and has been a general metaethics, moral psychology, and year include the third annual Dan always out! FELT LIKE A TREAT TO HIM, which reinforced how he felt manager for the custom philosophy of mind; Matt Souba Farrell Undergraduate Retreat [see “TALKING ABOUT BORDERLINE about the major and about designed clothing company what a great teacher Lisa ETHICAL CASES IN MEDICINE IS Azilli Ltd. was. He considers Advanced SOMETHING I WOULD DO IN MY Philosophy of Mind with Abe Two of his favorite non- Roth the culmination of his FREE TIME!” ABRAM SAID. academic activities are CURRENT UNDERGRADUATE ABRAM FELDMAN philosophical experience: it Friendship Circle and tutoring. Abram Feldman is going to be a fourth-year student in engineering related job. He searched for a major that was was exactly what he was waiting for – an investigation of Friendship Circle is a program run by Chabad that pairs the Honors Program at Ohio State pursuing a major in different from his usual scientific pursuits, but that did not the mind! college-age adults with children with disabilities to simply philosophy and a minor in cognitive science. He says his stray very far away from what really interested him: logic, hang out and have fun. “It is very enjoyable every week to time in the philosophy department “has been a pleasure.” cognition, and the brain. Abe said, “Abram was a great student. The advanced class go with another student and hang out with our friend to he was in was conducted in a seminar style: less lecture, do whatever he wants,” Abram says. Abram considers his decision to pursue philosophy in In high school, he had read The Mind’s I by Douglass more open-ended discussion. Abram’s contributions were college a welcome but unexpected decision. “In high Hofstadter and Daniel Dennett, and the topics in that fantastic, consistently on target, and thoughtful. He wasn’t As a tutor, he helps other Ohio State students in school, I was always most interested in math and physics,” book planted the seeds of philosophy in his mind. “I showy; just really interested in the material.” organic chemistry, chemistry, math, and philosophy — he says, and “everyone told me I should be an engineer.” was always the child who would question everything — even when he’s very busy with his classes, he still has a Unfortunately for them, and luckily for Abram and the what should I be when I grow up, what is color, how do I Then came philosophy of cognitive science with Richard great time helping other people with the subjects he finds philosophy department, Abram did not like to draw, think, what am I — but the introduction to philosophy of Samuels, which was even more specifically what he was most interesting. which he felt would be an essential component to any mind was both welcoming and terrifying,” says Abram. after. Richard says “He was a delight to teach: smart, intellectually curious, and hardworking. His contributions

2 Department of Philosophy philosophy.osu.edu LOGOS 3 Professor Downing did not scoff when After Professor Hubin’s class, these possible correct answer. “Seth and Kate [McFarland] were in my Seth presented his own “pixie dust” were elementary, so he raised his Studies in Twentieth-Century argument, which suggested that an hand and asked, “Could you be more But while many of his peers were Philosophy,” says Ben. “Now that’s a infinite number of scientific theories specific with the facts in your vexed by the lack of objectively talented class. I couldn’t have asked can be reverse-engineered to account hypothetical?” provable answers to the exam, he for a better group to discuss the for any observable phenomenon— took comfort in knowing that he mode of being of impossible or such as: rather than “gravity,” the Seth describes himself as “fortunate could analyze every question to otherwise nonexistent Meinongian proportion of “blue” to “pink” pixie to have been successful in law school,” its core. objects with.” dust in an object determines the force though that success would come as it exerts on other objects. no surprise to his professors at Ohio Last year, Seth accepted a one-year Perhaps his favorite philosophy State. Seth made law review and clerkship with the Honorable experience was in Professor Lisa If such a theory is equally possible wrote a note on the history and Thomas M. Hardiman on the United Downing’s class on scientific realism, and would account for “gravitational” potential application of the States Court of Appeals for the Third which examined the ontological phenomena, why assume science is “forgotten” Ninth Amendment in a Circuit (in Pittsburgh). Not only did status of unobservables. getting closer to the truth, rather than number of contexts. He became this allow him to read and write merely choosing among a set of interested in appellate law, because about foundational issues in the law, Professor Downing spent a great deal equally plausible descriptions of more than any other area, it places a but it also gave him an opportunity to of time on Thomas Kuhn’s The unobservables? premium on argumentation in both debate them daily with a Structure of Scientific Revolutions and oral debate and in writing. federal judge. his thesis that the history of science “I continue to discover that scientific reveals a series of “paradigm shifts,” realism is much more Seth quickly gained a rather than a progressive trend complicated than I thought. BEING A LAW CLERK WAS IN MANY reputation as the “skeptic,” toward understanding unobservable But Professor Downing’s WAYS BEING A “PHILOSOPHER.” the “relativist,” and the phenomena. encouragement and SETH’S JOB, EVERY DAY, WAS TO SIT “bare-bones” writer. intellectual jousting were Go figure! FORMER UNDERGRADUATE In tension with this view was the integral in my development,” IN AN OFFICE, READ TWO SIDES’ “Argument from the Best Explanation,” said Seth. He suspects that OPPOSING, LOGICAL ARGUMENTS, Being a law clerk was in many SETH ROKOSKY which essentially posits that science most philosophy majors have THINK DEEPLY ABOUT THEM, AND ways being a “philosopher.” must be getting closer to truth had a similar experience. Seth’s job, every day, was to Seth Rokosky came to Ohio State Professor Don Hubin’s normative because it is increasingly able to FORM A CONCLUSION. HE THEN sit in an office, read two sides’ from Canton McKinley Senior High ethics class introduced him to the predict observable phenomena (i.e. After Seth graduated, HAD TO PRESENT HIS OWN VIEWS, opposing, logical arguments, School to major in English because he devastating value of hypotheticals how else could planes fly?). Professor Downing wrote a BOTH ORAL AND WRITTEN, TO HIS think deeply about them, and wanted to improve his writing. During and counterexamples, as well as letter of recommendation on CO-CLERKS AND THE JUDGE. “IF THIS form a conclusion. He then freshman orientation, his mother to the oddities of Jeremy Bentham’s Professor Downing exhibited what is, Seth’s behalf to the University had to present his own views, suggested that he enroll in an preserved body and the in Seth’s view, the paradigmatic virtue of Pennsylvania Law School; WAS NOT A QUEST FOR ‘TRUTH’ AND both oral and written, to his introductory philosophy course with “forbidden donut.” of a philosopher: encouragement to he was accepted. At Penn, he ‘KNOWLEDGE,’ WHAT ELSE WOULD co-clerks and the Judge. “If Larry Sanger. think for oneself. Rather than quickly learned that his BE? AND I LOVED IT!” HE EXCLAIMED. this was not a quest for truth Don recalls that Seth was in just his constantly asserting her own philosophy background was and knowledge,” Seth said, Sanger’s class, which centered on second quarter at Ohio State when arguments, Professor Downing invaluable. “what else would be? And I Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, and he took Don’s upper-division course carefully nurtured a combined group loved it!” Hume, convinced Seth within weeks in moral philosophy. “Despite being a of philosophy and science majors, “Law school is filled with hypotheticals, Again, these were just logical to switch his major. relative newcomer to philosophy, and who think very differently, and helped class debate, and a thirst for crystal extensions of his philosophy Seth has recently completed his indeed to the university, Seth them vet their own complicated clear writing: essentially--my background into the legal context. clerkship and moved to New York City “My love for philosophy would not performed at the very top of a theories about a simple topic they all undergraduate philosophy experience Rather than other areas of the law, in September to work for the law firm have begun if it were not for the generally very strong class, one that could understand. in the legal context.” which focus primarily on applying a Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher, LLP. He incredible professors who nurtured it,” included students much further along given set of facts to the accepted plans to focus primarily on appellate Seth says. In Larry Sanger’s in their careers. Seth’s enthusiasm and “Seth was a noteworthy presence in an He particularly remembers his first legal framework, appellate cases work and constitutional law. class, for example, he developed a energy, combined with his keen especially fun class,” Lisa states. “He day in criminal law, when they more often involve debating the love-hate relationship with David intellect, made it a joy to have him in showed the sort of genuine debated the law’s ethical foundations. antecedent question about what Hume, and Hume’s extreme the course.” intellectual curiosity that one always Should it be illegal to “eat” your the law actually is or how it should skepticism continues to affect Seth’s hopes to find in one’s students. He fellow passengers if you’re stranded be construed. willingness to question even And Professor Ben Caplan’s dogged resolutely resisted the realist trend of on a dinghy in the ocean? What After law school, he passed the commonly-held assumptions. emphasis on fluid concise writing the class, always in a polite, engaged, would a utilitarian say? A notorious New York bar exam, half of vastly improved the clarity and logic and reasoned way.” deontologist? which consisted of crazy hypotheticals of Seth’s arguments. that often had more than one

4 Department of Philosophy philosophy.osu.edu LOGOS 5 CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENT KATE MCFARLAND graduate program, all we have to go on are letters of Kate’s dissertation work is inspired by the treatment in recommendation (which are usually glowing), a transcript, philosophy of language of disagreement about matters of Thus, on a whim, she and a small writing sample. So there is always a certain taste and, to some extent, “merely verbal” disputes. enrolled in Wayne Wu’s amount of uncertainty. With Kate there was no such doubt. Advanced Philosophy of We already knew of her fine She commented: “From Language, along with her analytic mind, because of a sociological and statistics coursework. She KATE LIKES TO BREAK HER her excellent performance social psychological had no prior exposure to in seminar after seminar.” WORKDAYS (AND NON-WORK DAYS) perspective, I find it philosophy of language, rather interesting that nor to any philosophy WITH NON-SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR— Kate fit right in and excelled speakers engage in such called “advanced,” and in classes. As Ben Caplan USUALLY WALKING (SHE’S NOTED activities. When I started really didn’t know what put it, “Kate took three reading the portrayals to expect. FOR COMMUTING TO CAMPUS classes from me, and I don’t in philosophy, though, I think I was able to teach BY FOOT FROM JUST NORTH OF thought: ‘What is this? In the end, though, she her anything. I swear she This is just taking some liked it. Wayne said of GERMAN VILLAGE, A ONE HOUR knew the answer to every made-up dialogues and Kate, “Kate was a breath single question I ever asked. WALK) OR SOMETHING SHE CALLS received assumptions of fresh air to have in class, Well, except maybe for that about sameness of motivated, clear in thought, “INTERPRETIVE STEP AEROBICS.” one time, when she said meaning, speaker Kate was introduced to philosophy in her first quarter and extremely intelligent. I thought she would be a very something true that wasn’t the answer I had been competence, and the sorts of disputes that are reasonable as an undergraduate at Ohio State, when she enrolled successful graduate student and am pleased she ended looking for.” to have, and then fiddling with formal models. I need to in Joe Levine’s H101 class (due to a lack of enrollment up in graduate school at Ohio State.” options for incoming freshman). She found the class fix this.’ “ Kate is now in the Dissertation Prospectus Exam phase surprisingly interesting and intellectually satisfying, and In fact, Kate found the experience sufficiently stimulating of the graduate program, working with William Taschek, Kate likes to break her workdays (and non-work days) Joe encouraged her to major in the discipline. that she decided to enroll in only philosophy courses for whom she met during her early forays into philosophy as with non-sedentary behavior — usually walking (she’s the next quarter. Inspired a statistician. “I could tell right away that he was the kind noted for commuting to campus by foot from just north of Kate, however, had her by the positive reception of person I’d be happy to write a dissertation for,” Kate German Village, a one hour walk) or something she calls own agenda: she would STATS WAS FINE—BUT WHEN I she continued to receive, said of her advisor. “So far I’ve been completely right “interpretive step aerobics.” vacillate between such the quarter after that about that.” fields as sociology and THOUGHT BACK ON MY REASONS she was taking graduate Kate continues to maintain that she’s pursuing a PhD comparative studies FOR CHOOSING A MAJOR, I FELT LIKE seminars. for a little while, and William feels the same about having Kate as one of his in philosophy in fulfillment of a personal challenge and A REAL WUSS,” SHE RECALLED. “SO I students. He said,”Working with Kate is a great pleasure. denies that she has any definite career plans (although she ultimately settled on a By the end of that She is in many ways the ideal dissertation student, enjoys selling stuff on eBay and Amazon Marketplace and degree in mathematics DECIDED TO SUBJECT MYSELF AGAIN academic year, Kate immensely bright, analytically acute, philosophically often identifies internet-based retail as her dream job). — mainly because, as knew that she wanted TO THE MOST CHALLENGING AND original, self-motivated, diligent, and someone from whom she claims, “I found to finish a PhD in I am always learning — probably more than she is learning math pretty easy and DEMANDING FIELD OF THEM ALL: philosophy. But, when from me!” was, well, tired of PHILOSOPHY. autumn came, she did reading and writing.” not feel prepared to apply to philosophy As she neared graduation, however, Kate realized that she graduate programs. She was also on track to finish her hadn’t the foggiest idea what to do afterwards. So one master’s in statistics that year, and she was loath to ask the day she walked down the hall to the statistics department philosophy department to accept her as one of theirs. and asked if they’d accept her into their graduate PAVING THE PATH TO LAW SCHOOL: program. They agreed. Fortunately, however, she didn’t have to: when she hinted Like others before him, Seth Rokowsky found his BA in philosophy about her lack of prospects, Stewart Shapiro (whose perfect preparation for law. The University of Pennsylvania Law School But, shortly after she began her graduate studies in seminar she was then taking) suggested that she apply. statistics, Kate had a strange and somewhat masochistic She did. And so it came to pass that Kate McFarland grad said Law school is filled with hypotheticals, class debate, and a impulse. “Stats was fine — but when I thought back on joined the 2009 cohort of incoming Ohio State philosophy thirst for crystal clear writing, essentially my undergraduate philosophy my reasons for choosing a major, I felt like a real wuss,” graduate students. experience in the legal context. she recalled. “So I decided to subject myself again to the most challenging and demanding field of them all: Of Kate’s acceptance to the department, Stewart philosophy.” said, “Normally, when we consider an applicant for our

6 Department of Philosophy philosophy.osu.edu LOGOS 7 PHILOSOPHERS HAVE FUN: In philosophy of logic he is 2013: “Key Concepts in Philosophy: Roy feels a special debt to George developing his “Embracing Revenge” Paradoxes” (Polity Press) and Schumm (now emeritus): “Although When Associate Professor Roy view, an account of the Liar paradox “The Yablo Paradox: An Essay on I learned a lot from my advisors Cook, PhD, 2000, isn’t working and the Revenge Problem taking Circularity” (Oxford University Press). and others, including Glenn Hartz, on philosophy, he is reading seriously the idea that natural Robert Kraut, Lisa Shabel, and comics or writing about them. languages are indefinitely extensible. He has published over fifty articles William Taschek, it was Schumm He co-founded the comics in journals and anthologies, and who really stressed the fundamental theory blog PencilPanelPage. He is working on a novel version of given talks on these topics and importance of clarity and precision in He also is an enthusiastic logical pluralism that allows for more others in over a dozen countries on philosophical argument and academic member of the Adult Fan of than one correct, best, or legitimate four continents. Roy co-founded the writing. I think George might have LEGO (AFOL) community and logic while still judging many logics, comics theory blog PencilPanelPage been the best in-the-classroom on the coordinating committee including, standard classical logic, to (with Frank Bramlett, University of teacher I ever had.” for Brickworld Chicago, the be incorrect. Nebraska - Omaha, Michael Johnson, George said, “What largest AFOL fan convention “Fortunately, I think that the ROY REMEMBERS HIS YEARS AT OHIO most deeply impressed in North America. He built a foundational problems I me about Roy was the number of six-foot, 60,000+ work on are important,” he STATE FONDLY; HE ATTRIBUTES MUCH professional mind-set piece architectural models for the said, “But parodoxes are so OF HIS SUCCESS TO THE SUPPORTIVE he brought to his time Minnesota Historical Society and cool, I would probably work AND NURTURING ENVIRONMENT here. He was a young the Minnesota History Museum. on them anyway!” colleague in my eyes, HE FOUND HERE. HE CREDITS HIS more so than any other In addition to work on logic DISSERTATION COMMITTEE WITH graduate student I can and mathematics, Roy is TEACHING HIM EVERYTHING IMPORTANT recall. His subsequent interested in the aesthetics HE KNOWS ABOUT LOGIC AND THE academic success is of comics. He co-edited wholly unsurprising.” A Philosopher in Lego Land: Roy Cook creates The Art of Comics: A PHILOSOPHY OF MATHEMATICS; AND architectural marvels Philosophical Approach INSISTS THAT “ALL THE DUMB STUFF I When Roy isn’t working (Wiley-Blackwell 2012, with SAY IS STILL MY OWN FAULT.” on philosophy, he is Aaron Meskin, University of reading comics or FORMER GRADUATE STUDENT ROY COOK Leeds), the first-ever anthology on the University of Texas – Austin, and speaking about them and related philosophy of comics from an Qiana Whitted, University of South matters at fan conventions — and Roy T. Cook, a graduate student at After his stay at Arché, Roy spent have produced the first complete analytic perspective (Ohio State Carolina), which can be found at: playing with LEGOs. Ohio State from 1994 to 2000, wrote three years at Villanova University, translation of Frege’s important philosophy alumnus Henry Pratt is a pencilpanelpage.wordpress.com his dissertation, Logic and Modeling: before joining the University of Grundgesetze der Arithmetik. contributor to the volume). An enthusiastic member of the Adult A New Perspective on Foundations, Minnesota–Twin Cities where he is Roy remembers his years at Ohio Fan of LEGO (AFOL) community under the supervision of advisor associate professor, resident fellow of Ohio State University Libraries’ Billy State fondly; he attributes much of and a member of the coordinating Stewart Shapiro, Neil Tennant, and the Minnesota Center for Philosophy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum his success to the supportive and committee for Brickworld Chicago, George Schumm. of Science and an associate fellow of is one of the nation’s best academic nurturing environment he found here. the largest AFOL fan convention the Northern Institute of Philosophy collections of comics and comics- He credits his dissertation committee in North America, he has built While he completed coursework for at the University of Aberdeen. related research material, but Roy with teaching him everything a number of six-foot, 60,000+ a master’s degree in mathematics, he said he was unaware of this resource. important he knows about logic and piece architectural models for the never completed the required thesis, Roy works on issues in the philosophy “If I had known about this collection the philosophy of mathematics; and Minnesota Historical Society and the noting that “overextending myself of mathematics and logic; the when I was in graduate school, I might insists that “all the dumb stuff I say is Minnesota History Museum. remains a characteristic feature of my common thread is a deep and not have ever finished writing my still my own fault.” academic and personal life!” abiding interest in paradoxes. He dissertation, since I would have been He lives in Minneapolis with his is a prominent defender of Scottish too busy borrowing comics!” But, it wasn’t all smooth sailing — he wife, Alice; two cats, Freckles and In August 2000, he married, received Logicism, a modification of Gottlob notes a faculty member once told him Mr. Prickley; and approximately two his PhD in philosophy, and moved Frege’s original logicist project Roy is the author of A Dictionary he should work on “real” philosophy, million LEGO bricks. to St. Andrews Scotland to begin designed to withstand the challenges of Philosophical Logic (Edinburgh not just become a “paradox-monger.” work as a postdoctoral research posed by the Russell paradox. University Press 2007), the editor of “I’m pretty glad I ignored that fellow at Arché: The AHRC Centre for The Arché Papers on the Mathematics particular piece of advice!” the Philosophy of Logic, Language, Closely connected to this is his of Abstraction (Springer 2007), and Mathematics, and Mind. It was a busy extensive work on the history of has two monographs coming out in year for Roy. analytic philosophy — he is part of a small team of researchers who Former graduate student Roy Cook

8 Department of Philosophy philosophy.osu.edu LOGOS 9 UNDER THE TREES: THIRD ANNUAL UNDERGRAD RETREAT

The third annual Dan Farrell Undergraduate Philosophy the possibility of a matrix, and what that would mean Retreat was another big success. for theories of consciousness, phenomenology, and even morality. Philosophy majors Dima Vinogradsky, Amanda Kaczmarek, Jordan Patton, Lucas La Tour, Daniel Williams, and Mark On the second night The Thirteenth Floor was shown. This Riggleman joined Professor Tim Schroeder and PhD film, unknown to many them, was appreciated for its student Christa Johnson for three days out at Jeffers Tree “brain-in-a-vat” allusions. In this film, students were Farm to talk about philosophy, go hiking, eat some great challenged with the possibility that purported persons in food, and watch some philosophically-themed movies. The virtual realities may indeed be full-blown moral agents theme for this year’s retreat was the infamous “brain-in-a- who have experiences as well as some sort of DUBROVNIK CONFERENCE vat” scenario. The celebrated philosophical texts, The consciousness not unlike our own. Discussion of this film Matrix, and The Thirteenth Floor, supplied some basic was just as fruitful as the first, providing lively philosophical premises, and a chapter from Hilary Putnam’s, Reason, conversation Sunday morning as participants prepared to Truth, and History added some further grist for the mill. depart. The students left excited to continue discussion of At Dubrovnik: Janice Dowell, Diana Raffman, David Rey, Eric Snyder, Stewart Shapiro, Michael Glanzberg the themes on their drive home and encourage their The Putnam chapter was sent to the students ahead of fellow philosophy friends to consider the trip in the future The annual Ohio State/Maribor made the discussion lively and Suggested paper topics include: time to prime them for the weekend, while the films (unless they themselves were allowed to be a part of the conference in Dubrovnik was held productive for everyone. The papers were shown during the trip. Students were welcomed trip twice of course). June 11-15. The event was co- will show improvement as a result of • the ontology of art or some Friday night with dinner and a showing of The Matrix. sponsored with the Department of the exchanges. specific artform (e.g., the Without any further prompting, the conversation As always, the retreat was made possible by Jim Jeffers, Linguistics. The topic, contextualism ontology of fictional characters, instantly blossomed. who kindly donates use of his tree farm for this purpose and relativism, produced a fruitful In addition to the formal conference, the ontology of musical works) every year, and by Mike Perkins, who kindly provides exchange between renowned there were opportunities for everyone The following day, the students were invited to go on financial support. Both Jim and Mike are alumni of Ohio linguists and philosophers of to enjoy themselves in a beautiful and • the definition of art in general or hikes, take a swim, or just sit by the fire and chat. State’s philosophy department. Their generosity is always language from the United States, charming venue. some specific artform the place of Throughout the day the students engaged each other, as greatly appreciated by all. Western Europe, and Central Europe. artwork and artforms in the world well as Tim and Christa in discussions regarding Plans are underway for a special issue Craige Roberts and Stewart Shapiro of Inquiry devoted to papers from • the philosophical and from Ohio State were joined by two this conference. metaphysical significance of linguists, Chris Barker and Chris conceptual art or other non- Kennedy, and philosophers Berit We look forward to the 2013 traditional artforms Brogaard, Janice Dowell, Michael conference, to be jointly sponsored Glanzberg, Max Kölbel, and Diana (as usual) by Ohio State’s Department • the nature and ground of truth in Raffman. From Central Europe, our of Philosophy and our counterparts fiction or other representational old friends Boran Bercic and Nenad in Croatia and Slovenia, which will be artforms Mišcevic gave papers. held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, the week of June 17-21. • the metaphysics of fiction and In addition, this year, we had a series fictionalist metaphysics of talks by graduate students: Ezra The 2013 conference will address the Cook, Jeff Dauer, and David Rey; our intersection of metaphysics and the • the philosophical and own Joe Reich and Eric Snyder; and, philosophy of art. It will be organized metaphysical significance of from the area, Martina Blecic and by Ben Caplan and David Sanson. our critical or interpretative Dušan Dožudic. The philosophy of art is broadly engagement with artworks construed to include not only the fine The conference was exciting. More arts, such as painting and sculpture, • the intentionality of importantly, all of the speakers but also architecture, fiction, poetry, representational art showed deep respect for each other, music, dance, and drama. despite deep areas of disagreement. • the metaphysics of art and early The tone was more that of a joint analytic philosophy search for the truth, rather than Undergraduate participants at Under the Trees Retreat debate for the sake of debate, which

10 Department of Philosophy philosophy.osu.edu LOGOS 11 VAGUENESS WORKSHOP CONTINUING CONVERSATIONS

PHILOSPHY/LINGUISTICS LAUNCH SUCCESSFUL It also allowed attendees — faculty and students from Immigration, both legal and illegal, is a topic that • The selection of Outcasts United, for Ohio State’s NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKSHOP diverse departments, including philosophy, linguistics, engenders strong sentiments these days. In public incoming first-year students to read and discuss, tells German, computer science, mathematics, and psychology discourse about the topic, these sentiments aren’t always the compelling true story of the employment of sports Last February, Something About Vagueness, an — to hear a wide range of perspectives on large and conveyed in civil terms or supported with strong evidence. to build a community among refugee immigrants; and interdisciplinary two-day workshop on vagueness brought difficult topics. Last year, the Ohio State University Center for Ethics much more together experts from different fields and perspectives and Human Values (CEHV) Innovation Group undertook to shed light on vagueness as a linguistic phenomenon. Receptions were held after each day’s sessions: Craige an ambitious project to contribute to correcting these The Immigration COMPAS project was originally planned Co-organized by Ohio State’s philosophy and linguistics Roberts hosted a reception at her house and the problems with our public debates concerning immigration. as a one-off event, but it quickly became apparent to the departments, the workshop featured speakers and Department of Philosophy sponsored a reception at The CEHV led the entire university in a civil and informed organizers that it could be a prototype for an ongoing commentators from both fields. Figlio restaurant. “conversation” on the thorny issue of immigration. program that would enrich the discussion of moral issues at Ohio State. Because the Immigration COMPAS was Speakers included Chris Barker, linguistics, NYU, Because the workshop, the first such co-organized With support from President Gee and College of Arts such an extraordinary success, the College of Arts and Negotiating Temperature Standards; Chris Kennedy, workshop of its kind, was highly successful, both and Sciences Executive Dean and Vice Provost Joseph Sciences has committed to establishing it as an annual linguistics, Chicago, Vagueness, Imprecision, and departments will hold another, similarly-structured Steinmetz what began as a more modest project grew into event, beginning in the 2013-14 year, to be organized by Tolerance; Diana Raffman, philosophy, Toronto, Vague workshop in winter 2013. The hope is that the Vagueness a year-long, university-wide “conversation” that took place the CEHV. Words: Competent Use as Evidence for a Semantics; Workshop will be the first of many annual, interdisciplinary under the banner of COMPAS, Conversations on Morality, Stewart Shapiro, Vagueness, Open-Texture, and conversations to come. Politics, and Society. The COMPAS project, organized by While COMPAS will be the Ohio State “face” of the Retrievability; and Eric Snyder, Vagueness and Gradability. Don Hubin and Piers Turner and two of our colleagues center in the near term, it is far from the only project of Top scholars in both philosophy and linguistics have from political science, Eric MacGilvray and Michael Neblo, the CEHV. In addition to the Democratic Governance Ben Caplan (on Barker); Joseph Frazee, linguistics, UT agreed to participate. was extremely broad and multifaceted, involving activities focus group, the center has focus groups addressing such Austin (on Snyder); Craige Roberts (on Shapiro); and Kevin for faculty, students, and the wider community. issues as: Ethics and the Emotions (led by Justin D’Arms); Sharpe (on Kennedy) provided commentary. The workshop, held in the Senate Room of the Ohio Distributive Justice and Health Care, (led by Ohio State Student Union, was made possible in part with the help of Here are just a few events that were part of the year- philosophy PhD and Professor of Nursing Pam Salsberry Organizers Craige Roberts, Stewart Shapiro, and Eric the undergraduate Philosophy Club. long “conversation” (for a full listing, visit the Immigration and Ohio State College of Medicine Clinical Assistant Snyder created a workshop that provided a unique mix COMPAS website at (immigration.osu.edu): Professor Mariko Nakano); Institutions and Ethics (led of speakers and commentators from different fields with Greg Kierstad created a website for the workshop: by Ohio State Political Science Assistant Professor S. M. philosophers receiving commentary from linguists and vice go.osu.edu/vagueness • Two interdisciplinary conferences that brought to Amadae); and Animal Worlds in the Arts, Sciences, and versa. This provided everyone a perspective they would Ohio State world-renowned researchers to discuss Humanities (led by Ohio State Distinguished Professor of not normally be exposed to. philosophical, social, economic, political, and historical English David Herman). aspects of immigration

UNDERGRADUATE PHILOSOPHY CONFERENCE • Six COMPAS Colloquia examining the immigration issue through different disciplinary lenses The Undergraduate Philosophy negative nominals and counterfactual defends the position that two similar Club held its Annual Undergraduate dependence, among many others. problems concerning identity in • Two film series, one book discussion series, and an arts Philosophy Conference in the Ohio mathematics and physics are at their exhibition exploring the issue Union May 11 and 12, 2012. This Presenters hailed from across the cores different, and thus require conference has been held most country. Universities represented different solutions. years for the past 30 years, and has included Reed College and Mills become quite a tradition. It attracts College on the West Coast and the The Keynote Address was by Ohio undergraduate papers from across University of Florida and Duquesne State Professor Robert Kraut, who THE ANNUAL FINK AND BINGHAM AWARDS the country. University on the East Coast. presented a chunk of his No Exit book project, in a stylistically THE FINK AWARD, named in honor of William H. Fink, THE BINGHAM AWARD, named after William Bingham, Because of the quality of papers New to the conference this year, the captivating and content-rich way. is awarded annually for the best graduate paper in is awarded annually for the best undergraduate paper in submitted, the club had a difficult club added a spot for an exceptional So rich in fact that the questions he philosophy. The award comes with a cash prize of $1,000 philosophy. The award comes with a cash prize of $500 task narrowing the number of papers graduate student to showcase raised appeared and continued to and has been awarded since 1980. The 2012 Fink Award is and has been awarded since 1921. Kirun Sankaran is the to 12. Selected papers covered her work: Teresa Kouri presented reappear throughout the conference. shared by Daniel Pearlberg and Eric Snyder. Daniel’s paper 2012 Bingham Award competition winner for his essay a wide-range of topics including her stimulating work-in-progress Many of the presenters were forced is titled, “Modifying the Interventionalist Solution to the on “Inferentialism and Indeterminacy: Kripke, Brandom a new reading of Husserl, a fresh “Indistinguishability in Physics and to face up to the challenges raised by Problem of Causal Exclusion;” Eric’s is called, “Vagueness and Wilson.” and Gradability.” regimentation of Aristotle’s logic, Math.” The project is a development Professor Kraut. and a topical paper on Schaffer’s of her master’s thesis. In it, she

12 Department of Philosophy philosophy.osu.edu LOGOS 13 SOCIETY FOR EXACT PHILOSOPHY CONFERENCE WORDS ABOUT THE STUDENTS AWARDS: March 2012, Tim read the paper, “Extended Scientific The Department of Philosophy will (a philosophy PhD student). Invited Ohio State University, the philosophy Minds and Population-level Theory Change,” at the host the annual meeting of the speakers include Robin Jeshion from department, and the Language or Wes Cray won the Department of Philosophy Graduate Midwest Workshop in Philosophy of Science, Technology, Society for Exact Philosophy from the University of Southern California, Logic Society. The Language or Logic Student Teaching Award this past spring. Engineering, and Mathematics, Indiana-Purdue University. October 11–13, 2012. The Society JC Beall from the University of Society is a student organization in In addition to successfully defending his dissertation this for Exact Philosophy is dedicated Connecticut, and Michael Glanzberg the Department of Philosophy at Teresa Kouri was awarded the Social Sciences and summer, Tim also presented the paper, “Do theories to providing sustained discussion from Northwestern University. Ohio State. It was founded in 2011 Research Council of Canada Fellowship. of scientific inference have implications for ordinary among researchers who believe that and has as a goal the facilitation of cognition? Fodor on holism and cognitive architecture,” rigorous methods have a place in The conference website, go.osu.edu/ philosophical discussion concerning James McGlothlin was an invited Visiting Scholar at the with Richard Samuels, at The Society for Philosophy and philosophical investigations. This year, sep, contains much more information. language and logic. Center for Philosophy of Religion, at Notre Dame, autumn Psychology, in Colorado, July 2012. the conference will be organized by This conference is made possible in semester 2011. Stewart Shapiro and Teresa Kouri part by the generous support of The Teresa Kouri commented on a paper at the Western Daniel Pearlberg and Eric Snyder were co-winners of Canadian Philosophical Association, October 22, 2012 the 2012 Fink Award. Eric also won the Best Essay Award entitled “Plato and the Virtues of Millitary Units” and WORDS ABOUT EMERITI for his paper, “Frege’s Other Puzzle,” at the Indiana was an invited speaker at the Undergraduate Philosophy Philosophical Association. Conference on May 11, 2012. Teresa also was the organizer of the 2012 Society for Exact Philosophy George Pappas’ article, “Certainty Dan Farrell presented a paper in Tadros on the Justification of General Conference held October 11-13, 2012. and Knowledge of Objects in December 2011 at a conference at Deterrence.” PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS: Berkeley” was published in Timo the University of Pennsylvania College James McGlothlin presented “Logical Contradiction

Airaksinen & Bertil Belfrage, editors, of Law (the conference topic was a Lee Brown published two articles. and God’s Omnipotence” at the Annual Evangelical Wes Cray’s article, ”Fightin’ Words: Sabbath Doesn’t Berkeley’s Lasting Legacy, Cambridge legal problem called “The Problem of “Armstrong, Crosby, Dylan, Flavor Philosophical Society, San Francisco, CA, November 18, Need the Ozzman,” is forthcoming later this year in Scholars Press, 2011. Actio Libera in Causa”). His paper was Flav: Can American popular vocal 2011. Black Sabbath and Philosophy: Mastering Reality (William entitled “What Should We Say about music escape the legacy of blackface Irwin, ed.), Blackwell-Wiley. Wes also gave a number He also presented “Knowledge of the Contrived ‘Self-defense’ Defenses?.” minstrelsy?” forthcoming, Journal of Eric Snyder was co-organizer of the Something About of presentations this past year. He gave comments Nature of Objects,” at the University As a result of this conference, he now Aesthetics and Art Criticism, and an Vagueness conference held this year at the Ohio Union on “Fiction and Pretense” by Dimitria Gatzia and Eric of Zurich, April 2011; “Idealism, has a paper entitled “What Should entry for “Jazz” in the forthcoming February 23 and 24, 2012. At the conference, Eric Sotnak, at the Ohio Philosophical Association, Cleveland Materialism, Competition,” at We Say about Contrived ‘Self-defense’ second edition of the Encyclopedia of presented his paper, “Gradability and Vagueness;” he also State University, March 2012; In April, Wes presented Hampden Sydney College Capstone Defenses?” forthcoming in the journal Aesthetics. presented a paper, “Frege’s Other Puzzle,” at the Indiana “Inconstancy and Content,” at the Wisconsin Philosophical lecture, April 2012, and “Locke’s Criminal Law and Philosophy. Philosophical Association April 20-21, 2012. Association, Oshkosh, Wisconsin; “Some Ideas About Account of Perception,” at West Ideas and the Idea Idea,” was presented at the Rocky Chester University, April 2012. He has another paper forthcoming Daniel Wilkenfeld’s article, “Understanding as Mountain Division of the American Society for Aesthetics, in Criminal Law and Philosophy: it’s Representation Manipulability” was published in the online Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2012; and again at the entitled “Using Wrongdoers Rightly: version of Synthese, December 2011. British Society of Aesthetics, Queen’s College, Oxford,

September 2012. Wes debated Timothy O’Connor (chair Danny Pearlberg presented “Modifying the of philosophy, Indiana University) on Faith and Reason Interventionist Solution to the Problem of Causal through the Veritas Forum. UNDERGRAD UPDATES Exclusion” at the Indiana Philosophical Association conference (April 20-21, 2012), the 14th annual Pitt-CMU Tim Fuller’s article, “Is scientific theory change similar Chelsea Pflum, Winter Quarter, 2012. She is taking the Scott Ijaz graduated in 2012. He will work at the Hastings graduate student philosophy conference (April 6-7, 2012) to early cognitive development? Gopnik on science and year off to travel, backpacking around South Africa for a Center in New York, then on his bioethical thesis at Yale and the Society for Philosophy and Psychology (poster childhood,” was published in Philosophical Psychology, month in August and then plans to live for six months in and the University of Edinburgh. presentation, June 21-23, 2012). He presented “An (2012); Tim gave a number of presentations over the São Paulo, Brazil beginning in October. armchair approach to the experimental philosophy of past year. His paper, “Non-conceptual content: The Lucas DuSablon, Winter 2012. Currently, he is in charge of mental causation” at the Midsouth philosophy conference richness argument and early visual processing,” was Matthew Verdin, Spring Quarter, 2012. Currently, he is a development for a local non-profit called Clean Fuels Ohio, (February 24-25, 2012) and “Mechanistic explanation and given at the Southwestern Philosophical Society, Austin, summer intern at the San Francisco office of the law firm, dedicated to promoting the use of cleaner, domestic the classicism-connectionism debate” at the conference November 2011. “The cognitive development of scientific Covington & Burling, LLP. He will attend Stanford Law fuels and efficient vehicles to the transportation industry, for the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of inference,” was presented at the Midwest Workshop in School in the fall. government, and general public. Science (May 27-29, 2012). He also presented “Reasons, Philosophy of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Causes, and the Extended Mind Hypothesis” (with Tim Mathematics, Indiana-Purdue University, November 2011. Kirun Sankaran, Spring Quarter, 2012. He will pursue Schroeder) at Minds, Bodies, and Problems, a philosophy In February 2012, Tim presented the paper, “Is scientific a master’s degree in philosophy at the University of of mind conference hosted by Bilkent University (June inference holistic in any sense that matters for cognitive Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the fall. 7-12, 2012). science?” With Richard Samuels at the Central APA,

14 Department of Philosophy philosophy.osu.edu LOGOS 15 WORDS ABOUT THE FACULTY

Ben Caplan’s, “Ontological Don Hubin’s “Reproductive Interests: Harvard University, and the University Superpluralism” appeared in Puzzles at the Periphery of the of Cologne in Germany. Philosophical Perspectives in late Property Paradigm,” appeared in 2011. In spring 2012 he visited New Essays in Political and Social Neil Tennant’s book, Changes of the Centre for the Study of Mind Philosophy, and in Social Philosophy Mind: An Essay on Rational Belief in Nature at the University of Oslo. & Policy, 29:1 (Winter 2012). His Revision, has been published by He gave talks there, in Denmark entry on “Fatherhood” will appear Oxford University Press. (at a workshop at the University in the International Encyclopedia of of Copenhagen), and in Hong Ethics, scheduled to be published Piers Norris Turner continues to work Kong (at the Art and Metaphysics by Blackwell in 2012 and his primarily on the moral and political conference at Lingnan University). He paper “Fractured Fatherhood” is thought of John Stuart Mill. He gave also commented on papers at the forthcoming in the Journal of Family papers at the 12th Conference of the Central APA, the Pacific APA, and the Theory & Review. International Society for Utilitarian Vagueness Workshop at Ohio State. In Studies and at Case Western Reserve November he will be giving a talk at Lisa Shabel’s Mathematics in University. His article, “Authority, the PERSP Space and Time Workshop Kant’s Critical Philosophy has been Progress, and the ‘Assumption of on Time and Identity in Barcelona. reissued in paperback and she is Infallibility’ in On Liberty” will be at work on a new book project on published in January 2013. He is a Justin D’Arms is a major participant diagrammatic reasoning and Kant’s member of the innovation group in a grant from the John Templeton “Schematism.” In addition to giving to establish a Center for Ethics and Foundation for a research project several colloquia and comments, she Human Values at Ohio State, and on “The Science of Ethics.” Daniel gave a talk at a conference on Kant’s was an organizer of the campus-wide Jacobson at the University of Philosophy of Mathematics at the COMPAS program on immigration, as Michigan is the Project Director. University of Pittsburgh hosted by part of the center’s effort. The portion of the grant supporting former Ohio State philosopher Bob D’Arms’ work will bring approximately Batterman. Prof. Shabel won the $120,000 to Ohio State over Virginia Hull Research Award and also three years. was awarded a Special Assignment (Research Leave) for autumn 2011. WORDS ABOUT Lisa Downing’s article, “Maupertuis ALUMNI on Attraction as an Inherent Property Declan Smithies has co-edited a of Matter,” appeared in Interpreting book with Daniel Stoljar, Introspection Cathy Muller received her PhD, Newton, eds. Janiak and Schliesser and Consciousness, which was March 2012. She also gave (Cambridge 2012), 280-298. Prof. published by Oxford University comments at a conference in April Downing presented “Locke contra Press, June 2012. Declan has co- (the Aesthetics Society of America Descartes on Mind, Body, and authored an editorial introduction conference, Eastern division). The Dualism,” Symposium, at the Pacific with Daniel Stoljar, “Introspection comments were on Ira Newman’s Division APA Meetings, Seattle, April and Consciousness: An Overview” paper “Blue Tigers and Black Holes: 2012. Another paper ”Locke Contra and also has contributed a chapter, Imagining Logical Impossibility in Descartes on Body and Extension,” “A Simple Theory of Introspection.” Borges’s Fictional World.” was presented at the Substance in Meanwhile, Declan is working on Early Modern Philosophy: A Memorial various articles, including “The Conference for Roger Woolhouse, Phenomenal Basis of Epistemic York, England, June 30-July 2, 2012. Justification” forPhilosophical “Locke Contra Cartesian Dualism” will Perspectives and “The Mental Lives THANK YOU be given at the Conference on Locke of Zombies” for New Waves in and Cartesianism, in Lille, France, Philosophy of Mind, a Routledge FOR READING organized by Philippe Hamou and volume edited by Jesper Kallestrup Martine Pécharman, September and Mark Sprevak. Over the next LOGOS! 20-22, 2012. few months, Declan will be giving We welcome your input. presentations at Oberlin College, Please let us hear from you.

16 Department of Philosophy [email protected]