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Philosophy Logos THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY PhilosophyLOGOS 2008–2009 philosophy.osu.edu Words from the Chair This past year, we have said farewell to two of our longtime, valued Columbus campus colleagues: Steve Boer and George Pappas. Steve joined the department as an assistant professor in 1968 and George came to the department in 1969 as an associate professor. Their presence in the department will be missed by all of us. And James other institutions prior to coming to for Human Values at Princeton Bode retired from the Lima campus Ohio State. This is a large incoming University. Lisa Downing is currently after more than 34 years of service class, and one that continues a working on her book Empiricism there. James, too, will be missed. tradition of excellence. and Newtonianism: Locke, Berkeley, We welcome Dawn Starr, who It is impractical to try to briefl y and the Decline of Strict Mechanism, has just joined us on the Lima list faculty accomplishments in a with the assistance of a grant from campus. Dawn is completing short overview piece like this. (We the National Endowment for the her PhD in the philosophy of have a fuller, but still nothing Humanities. Sukjae Lee was invited language at UCLA. She received approaching complete, listing of such to be a visiting assistant professor at her BA from Kenyon College and accomplishments on pages 12-13.) Cornell University for the autumn an MA in philosophy from Tufts But I would be remiss were I not semester. University. Dawn’s current research to mention some very noteworthy There is also much that could interests are on topics related to the accomplishments. For example, be said about the accomplishments semantics and pragmatics of natural Sigrún Svavarsdóttir was awarded of our graduate students—much languages. a fellowship from the Institute for more than we include in our column We also welcome eight new Advanced Studies of the Hebrew devoted to this (see page 15). Many graduate students, coming from University of Jerusalem, where of our students are very highly a variety of institutions around she spent last spring quarter doing involved in professional activities— DON HUBIN, CHAIR the country and having diverse research. Sigrún also turned down a publishing papers and giving talks philosophical interests including: very prestigious Faculty Fellowship at professional conferences. metaphysics, ethics, moral in Ethics at Harvard during the Deserving special mention went to press, the department was psychology, epistemology, logic, and current academic year in order here, though, is Salvatore Florio undergoing its fi rst program review the history of philosophy. Six of the to accept an equally prestigious whose outstanding record and in 20 years. This review brought eight new graduate students have Laurence S. Rockefeller Visiting exciting dissertation project were three distinguished philosophers— completed MAs in philosophy at Fellow at the University Center recognized by a Presidential Don Garrett (New York University), Fellowship. This award, which Louis Loeb (Michigan), and Geoff is highly competitive across the Sayre McCord (University of When the last issue of Logos went to press, the department university, allows just a handful of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)—to was undergoing its fi rst program review in 20 years. This students who show extraordinary campus to review the department promise to devote their attention closely. We knew that this was a review brought three distinguished philosophers…to fully to their research work. terrifi c team of evaluators when campus to review the department closely. When the last issue of Logos (continued on page 2) INSIDE Don’t Buy the Lies: High School Students Get Philosophical Too .............................................. 2 It’s Never Too Late: Program 60 ............................................ 10 Consilience Project Attracts Dubrovnik Conference—2008 and 2009 ..............................11 Academically Diverse Audiences ...........................................4 Words About the Faculty ........................................................ 12 Philosophy Student Makes the Times ................................... 4 Turnbull Reading Room & Lounge Dedication .................... 14 Summer Research Opportunity Program ..............................5 Words About the Students ..................................................... 15 Students Present and Past....................................................... 6 LOGOS Don’t Buy the Lies: High School Students Get Philosophical, Too ummer 2008 marked the “We really worked hard to Department of Philosophy’s “It is a wonderful opportunity to reach out to high school make the course appropriate for Sfi rst foray into K-12 education. students, many of whom have a natural interest in high school students, while at the “Don’t Buy the Lies: Straight same time ensuring that they were Thinking about Crooked Talk,” a philosophy but little opportunity to explore and develop challenged,” says Pat Reeder. This critical reasoning course, was taught that interest.” was no small task: Metro High as a pilot course for fi ve weeks this is a charter school that appeals summer at Metro High School. primarily to highly motivated, self- Metro is a Columbus charter school, who might not otherwise be so concern of ours.” selecting students. The committee located just off campus, which is challenged, to develop their critical Don worked with Marcy was “warned” about them: even run by Ohio State, Battelle Research reasoning skills—the skills she Raymond, the principal at Metro though “Don’t Buy the Lies” was a Foundation, and a consortium believes she developed as a result of High School, to have the course summer course, they could expect of central Ohio school districts. her philosophical education at Ohio included in Metro’s summer the students to be deeply committed. The course emphasized both State in the 1950s. curriculum. “Metro High School “One of our main goals was to make introductory logical reasoning and “I shared Louise’s social con- is the ideal venue for this trial sure the course was practical,” notes political argumentation. cerns,” Don Hubin says, “but, as course,” Don reports, “because it is Sal Florio. “We wanted to make sure This course was made possible chair of the department, I needed used by the various school districts students were able to see just how through a generous donation from to fi nd ways of using these funds connected with the school as an relevant clear reasoning is to their Louise Vigoda, a Denver real estate that would also help us carry out the experimental platform from which own lives.” mission of the department. I saw a to launch programs into other high “We were trying to make this 2 investor with a degree from Ohio State, and her husband Phil. Worried way to do that if we could develop a schools in the area.” class more than just a logic course, that Americans too often lack critical summer curriculum for high school Thus was born the concept of the and we hit on the idea of political reasoning skills, Louise hoped that students. This would be exactly Metro High School course, but the debate,” says Cathy Muller. “We her donation might be used to extend the sort of outreach that Louise development remained to be done by chose this both because it was the philosophy department’s reach. was seeking, and it would help to four terrifi c graduate students: Sal topical and because it seemed likely She asked the department to seek provide summer support for our Florio, Dai Heide, Cathy Muller, and to provide ample opportunity for creative ways to challenge students, graduate students, which is a serious Pat Reeder. discussion of logical fallacies and Words from the Chair cont’d “…Indeed, the department’s outstanding placement the university selected them. They dents and the graduate program” worked very hard, reviewing (External Review Team Report, record is compelling testimony to the quality of the enormous quantities of data and page 1). graduate students and the graduate program” numerous reports and interviewing The department continues to (External Review Team Report, page 1). faculty, students, and staff. Their cooperate with philosophers in recommendations have guided Croatia and Slovenia to host an the department over the past year annual conference in Dubrovnik. strong assistance from the College of We want to know what’s in fi ne-tuning our program and This year, Justin D’Arms and Sigrún Humanities, we were able to build and happening with you. We lose track practices. While they had numerous Svavarsdóttir organized a terrifi c begin to furnish and decorate the new of many of our former students and such helpful suggestions, we were conference on moral philosophy, lounge. The space is already fulfi lling other friends of the department, gratifi ed by their extremely positive and next year Declan Smithies the intended purpose of promoting and that’s unfortunate. Please take evaluation of our department. As and Wayne Wu are organizing a informal philosophical conversations. a minute to complete the form on one of their summary comments conference in epistemology and We hope to complete the furnishing the back page of this newsletter put it: “The Ohio State philosophy philosophy of mind focusing on the and decorating of the room, and and return it to us (or e-mail me at department has an excellent important but underexplored area you can help. Contributions to the [email protected]). n faculty and a graduate program of attention. Robert G. Turnbull fund—or any of that successfully attracts strong Last spring marked the dedication the department’s other development graduate students that it then of the Robert G. Turnbull Reading funds—can be made very easily by places impressively. Indeed, the Room & Lounge. Through the returning the form on page 15 or by department’s outstanding placement generosity of Marge and Bruce going online to philosophy.osu.edu, record is compelling testimony Turnbull, and numerous alumni and and clicking on the link for making a Don Hubin to the quality of the graduate stu- friends of the department, and with contribution.
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