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Philosophy Logos THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 2009–2010 philosophy.osu.edu Words from the Chair “Please let me know if you don’t receive this.” This practical version of a paradox of self-reference is sometimes jokingly included in e-mails. If it’s ever appropriate, it’s appropriate for this newsletter. In an effort to re-deploy our resources to better promote our core mission, we’ve decided Changes to semesters was approved to produce our newsletter Change is afoot at OSU. The in principle by the University only in electronic format. academic calendar is moving from Senate several years ago, though We believe that, being now quarters to semesters. The five that approval was contingent well into the 21st century, we colleges of the arts and sciences on a number of conditions. The should take advantage of the that have, since 1968, been conditions were met and last current technologies to enhance separate colleges will be unified spring the University Senate efficiency and environmental into a single College of Arts and voted to move to a semester responsibility. We will, of course, Sciences. calendar no later than the post it on our web site and, in autumn of 2012. Since 1922, the Ohio State addition, distribute it as widely University has been on a quarter This change will present as we can to our alumni and calendar system. Beginning in the many challenges—or, in the friends. And we will make a autumn of 2012, OSU will end words of optimists, it will special effort to seek out the its 90 year experiment with the provide many opportunities. e-mail addresses of our alumni quarter system and move to the Either way, there’s a lot of work and friends for whom we have semester system that is now, by to be done. Courses have to be only postal addresses. Even with far, the most common calendar reconfigured, undergraduate our best efforts, we might miss in higher education. Debate over majors and minors need to be Don Hubin, Chair some of our alumni and friends. the calendar system has arisen redesigned, and the graduate So “please let me know if you several times over the past two program will need to be is already well under way and don’t receive this.” decades and the proposal to shift adjusted. At the University it promises to provide new level, the General Education efficiencies and opportunities. Curriculum will have to be It should make it considerably completely rethought, which easier than it has been for faculty is always a challenge and in the Philosophy Department Beginning in the autumn of 2012, OSU will end its opportunity. to collaborate on teaching with colleagues in, for example, 90 year experiment with the quarter system and The unification of the Psychology, Political Science, move to the semester system. separate colleges of the arts Economics, Mathematics, and and sciences into one strong Biology. College of Arts and Sciences (continued on p. 2) INSIDE Foundational Adventures: 2009 Undergraduate Philosophy A Conference in Honor of Harvey Friedman ...............3 Conference at Ohio State University ...........................9 Chelsea Pflum ..............................................................4 Words About the Faculty ...........................................10 Ben Flowers and John Wasserman ...............................5 Turbayne Prize ...........................................................11 Alisa Wandzilak ............................................................6 Words About the Students .........................................12 Mike Watkins and Jody Graham ...................................7 Dan Farrell .................................................................13 Piers Turner .................................................................9 The Dan Farrell Undergraduate Philosophy Retreat ....................................................15 In Memoriam: Ivan Boh .............................................15 Words from the Chair cont’d Departures On a happier note, we To illustrate with just Conclusion and Arrivals were joined this year by Piers two examples, consider the We are facing multiple At the Department level, Norris Turner. Piers, who comes following. Issues concerning situations that can be framed there are changes, too. Our to us from the University of global energy policies, national either as challenges or as long-time colleague and friend North Carolina, specializes in health care systems, and funding opportunities. But we have Dan Farrell will retire at the end moral and political philosophy, models for education all raise also set for ourselves several of Winter Quarter after 37 years especially the moral and political foundational problems of tasks that can be reasonably of extraordinary service to the philosophy of John Stuart Mill. distributive justice. And issues understood only as a very profession, the University, and the (For more, see the story on p. 9) concerning the education of welcome opportunities. One Department. Please see the story We welcome Piers, Abby Norris older children, health care of the most exciting is the on p. 13 for more about Dan’s (his wife), and Charlotte and decisions for impaired patients, development of a Dan Farrell career and his retirement. Here Cyrus (their two children) to and attorneys’ responsibilities Undergraduate Philosophy I will just reiterate how much Ohio and to the Department. to clients all raise foundational Retreat that I mentioned earlier. we will miss Dan’s presence The Department also problems about agency and You can read more about this in the Department. Because of welcomed this fall six new autonomy. We are convinced project in the news item on Dan’s love of and excellence at graduate students, three of whom that there is value in bringing p. 15. I hope that you’ll be teaching, and with the support won very competitive multi- together researchers with diverse as excited about it as we are of some “early adopters,” we year fellowship offers. These “applied” interests as well as because we need your help to are developing a proposal for students come from across the scholars who are focused on pull this off. It will be a terrific an undergraduate philosophy country and, in one case, from the more abstract, philosophical experience for the students retreat in his honor. We hope Canada. They have interests in issues to learn from each who are involved in the retreat to fund the opportunity for four a wide range of philosophical other. Stealing inspiration, if and a very fitting way of not content (or even rhythm), 2 or five advanced undergraduate issues including philosophy of honoring Dan’s contribution to philosophy majors to take a language, moral philosophy, from Kant, the thought can be undergraduate education in our two-day retreat at a cabin or philosophy of mind, philosophy conveyed as follows: “Moral Department. lodge away from campus with of logic, and more. We are theory without moral application either several faculty or a faculty delighted to welcome all of these is empty; moral practice without member and one or two graduate students to our Department; moral theory, blind.” students. The retreat would be they have already established I’m delighted to report that, an opportunity for immersion in themselves as valuable members amidst very stiff competition, our some philosophical topic with of our philosophical community. proposal for a grant from OSU to outstanding faculty and graduate get this project fully developed students—a rare opportunity for OSU Center for Ethics and ready for launching was undergraduate students and one and Human Values funded. In this competition for that we would very much like what are called “Innovation to be able to provide. And it is For some time now, several Group Grants,” twenty-four fitting that such a program be of us in the Department have proposals from around the established in honor of Dan, who been working with colleagues University were put forth, each has had such a profound effect across the University to develop having the support of dozens of on his students. (Please see the a proposal for an OSU Center faculty from multiple disciplines. story on this project on p. 15) for Ethics and Human Values. Of those twenty-four, only three Our vision is to create a center We were saddened by the were funded. We are gratified by that is focused on foundational news of the death of one of our the support that the University moral questions that underlie long-time colleagues, Ivan Boh. has shown and we look many moral issues confronting Ivan was, as all who knew him forward to the exciting work of the world, our country, and would attest, the quintessential developing a concrete proposal each of us, as individuals. These “gentleman and scholar.” He and funding model for the OSU foundational issues manifest was an internationally renowned Center for Ethics and Human themselves differently in different expert on medieval logic, perhaps Values. academic disciplines and even better known in Europe practical pursuits, but we believe than in the U.S. And, he was also that it is valuable to examine the a kind and gentle presence in the foundational issues directly. Department. He will be missed. THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY Foundational Adventures: A Conference in Honor of Harvey Friedman major interdisciplinary event took The occasion was dignified, and its Many favorable notes of place at The Blackwell Inn, May 14- importance underscored, by the attendance, congratulations and thanks have been A17, 2009: Foundational Adventures: and welcome speeches, of our University received from speakers and other Conference in Honor of the 60th Birthday President, Professor E. Gordon Gee, at the attendees. Everyone has remarked on the of Harvey M. Friedman. The conference, opening reception on Thursday evening uniformly high quality of the presentations affectionately referred to as ‘Harveyfest’ was and of our Interim Dean of the Federation and the event’s extraordinarily organized by Neil Tennant and made possible of Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Professor interdisciplinary character. Streaming by a generous grant from the John Templeton Joan Leitzel, at the banquet held on Saturday videos of all the sessions will soon be Foundation and also by funds for travel awards evening.
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