PHILOSOPHY Winter 2017 | for Alumni and Friends of the Department of Philosophy WISCONSIN STYLE

PHILOSOPHY Winter 2017 | For Alumni and Friends of the Department of Philosophy WISCONSIN STYLE

3 4 6 EAUW: Helping Students 2014 Goodrich Scholarship Interview with Do Good Better Recipient Channi Ernstoff Leonard Waks philosophy.wisc.edu PHILOSOPHY Wisconsin Style 1 PHILOSOPHY Letter from the Chair Philosophy, Wisconsin Style is the alumni Hello once to speak at our Annual Celebration of newsletter for the Department of Philosophy. This newsletter was printed using gifts from again! I am Graduates and Awards Event, along alumni and friends. happy to be with fellow graduate Julia Boles (’17). greeting you for More on Channi on page 4. Channi’s Contact us: the holidays for mantle as President of the Socratic Department of Philosophy the third time, as Society has been taken up by Dorothy University of Wisconsin–Madison always with hopes Wu (’18), and the group continues to 5185 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park Street that you have had meet regularly for vigorous discussion Madison, WI 53706 a fulfilling and and philosophical engagement—with interesting year. refreshments funded in part from our philosophy.wisc.edu We have had some comings and goings. generous donors. (608) 263-3700 Russ Shafer-Landau, you may have Our graduate students have also heard, has rejoined us, deciding there shown remarkable initiative. Clinton Chair: Alan Sidelle is no place like home. A side benefit Castro and Aaron Yarmel have found- Editors: Alan Sidelle, Jesse is the return of his famed Metaethics ed Effective Altruism UW, which helps Steinberg, and Christy Horstmeyer Workshop, hosted here in September students understand the importance to great acclaim; a wonderful venue of charitable giving, and how to do it Contributors: James Messina, for our faculty, students, and philoso- well (page 2). Aaron has also teamed Clinton Castro, and Channi Ernstoff phers working in metaethics generally. up with fellow graduate student Katie On the sadder side (for us), Malcolm Petrik to start Madison Public Philos- Design & Production: Danielle Lawry and Jenny Klaila, University Marketing Forster left to take up a post as Distin- ophy, an outreach group that brings guished Professor in the newly formed philosophical ideas to real issues in Philanthropy: Ann Lippincott, UW School of Logic and Philosophy of the community. (For more, see http:// Foundation: (608) 263-3604 or Science at Fudan University. While we news.wisc.edu/student-group- [email protected] lose an excellent philosopher, it is an promotes-usefulness-of- Cover: Photo by University Communications exciting opportunity for Malcolm to philosophy-in-the-community/) help lead the way towards top-notch In October 2016, the journal analytic philosophy in China and Asia Metaphilosophy published a sympo- more generally. sium dedicated to Claudia Card. It is We have new faces in the office a double volume and a fitting tribute, as well. You may recall that last year, including a number of offerings from Cheryl Schutte joined us as our new former students here in Madison, financial specialist and event planner who have gone on to their own solid (see page 4). This May, our beloved careers. This October, we hosted one Lori Grant—recently graduate more conference of our own: Jesse coordinator after long service as the Steinberg and I brought in six speak- undergraduate coordinator—retired ers for the Midwest Annual Workshop (after 41 years at UW!). She says she is in Metaphysics. so busy she doesn’t know how she had So, we are keeping busy and trying time to work before! While we do and to continue to bring the good philo- will continue to miss Lori, we are very sophical word. We are very grateful happy to welcome Miriam Fagan to for the support we receive from our our staff as the new graduate coordina- generous alumni and friends, which al- tor. Between Cheryl, Miriam, and Nina lows us to help both students and fac- Akli, we have had an almost entire ulty in a variety of ways. Thank you for office facelift over the past three years; contributing to the thriving, vibrant it is a great new group and we hope to world of our department. As always, be a happy family for some time! my best wishes for a great 2018. Our students continue to do us proud. Two of our majors received On, Wisconsin! honors from the College of Letters and Science: Alex Chen (’17) was JEFF MILLER, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS awarded the Jane Goddard Scholar- ship, and Channi Ernstoff (’17) won the Thomas W. Parker Scholarship. Alan Sidelle, Chair and Professor Channi was also selected by her peers [email protected] EAUW: Helping Students Do Good Better Many of us will have our students These two claims are hard to deny. $247.42 for Cool Earth, $203.24 entertain some version of the With the above principle, they put for GiveWell, and $185.56 for the following thought experiment this pressure on you to donate to aid Humane League. semester: agencies. • A day-long conference, “Careers Walking to class, you pass a toddler Many students leave our courses for Real Good for the Real World,” splashing about in a pond. If you don’t feeling this pressure, but few know which featured speakers from all wade in and pull her out, she will what to do next. Which aid agencies over the world—made possible by likely drown. Wading in is easy and most effectively fight the world’s support from Effective Altruism safe, but will ruin your clothes. What biggest problems? How should we Global, The Life You Can Save, and should you do? evaluate charities? Which careers 80,000 Hours. This event raised The vast majority of students best tackle issues like world hunger? $58 for the Fistula Foundation, will say they should save the child. Effective Altruism UW was found- $150 for Cool Earth, $173 for the And most will agree that this is due ed in the fall of 2015 by two UW–Mad- Future of Humanity Institute, and to some version of the following ison philosophy PhD candidates, $219 for The Humane League. principle: Aaron Yarmel and Clinton Castro, to help students navigate these ques- An event is being organized—in If you can prevent something very bad tions. The group holds meetings to collaboration with Madison Public from happening, without sacrificing discuss altruism and organizes fund- Philosophy (publicphilosophysite. anything nearly as important, it is raisers that promote charitable giv- wordpress.com), a group founded by wrong not to do so. ing. Since the founding, the group— graduate students Aaron Yarmel and with support from the Department of It’s likely that you agree with the Katie Petrik—that further explores Philosophy—organized the following spirit—if not the letter—of this prin- the thought experiment from this events: ciple. Now consider the following two article. For updates on the event and statements: • A public lecture by Professor the group, or to get involved, join the Harry Brighouse titled, “Should Facebook group Effective Altruism • Suffering and death from lack of Professors Teach More?,’’ which UW (facebook.com/groups/ food, shelter, and medical care are raised $150 for effective charities. EALTRUISM.UW). very bad. • A public lecture by Professor Rob • By donating to aid agencies, you Streiffer titled, “Being Human, Be- can prevent suffering and death ing Animal, and Everything In-Be- from these causes without sacri- tween,” which raised $247.42 for ficing anything nearly as import- the Against Malaria Foundation, ant.

From L&S Dean Karl Scholz Here at UW–Madison, the leaves are and the knowledge discovered here imagine alternatives, to put them- turning and the view from Bascom become guiding lights for Wisconsin, selves in others’ shoes. Together, we Hill is as beautiful as ever. But under the nation, and the world. create a welcoming place to learn. the tranquility is a current of unrest. As the Chancellor has empha- We are grateful for the unwavering Issues of race, inclusivity, and free sized, only in an environment safe support and advocacy our alumni and speech have caused (and will likely and free from harassment can our friends offer on behalf of our faculty, continue to cause) divisiveness on our primary mission of teaching, learn- our research endeavors, and our great campus, just as they have on many ing, research, and service take place. students. other campuses around the country. For many students who arrive on As Letters & Science alumni we There is a tension in the air, the likes campus, UW–Madison is the most di- hope you draw daily, not only on the of which has not been felt here since verse place they’ve seen. Others have knowledge you gained, but on the val- the Vietnam War era. never seen a less diverse place. But ues you absorbed here. We are count- In this climate, what we do in L&S the education we provide in Letters ing on you in an uncertain world. is more important than ever. We are & Science teaches people to confront Thank you for all you do to support fiercely committed to an institution problems from many perspectives, to the College of Letters & Science at where every student has the oppor- UW–Madison. tunity to reach their full potential, and where the campus environment On, Wisconsin!

philosophy.wisc.edu PHILOSOPHY Wisconsin Style 3 2014 Goodrich Scholarship Recipient Channi Ernstoff

Channah son partly out of a general desire to was full of students who shared her (Channi) return to the US, and also because excitement about philosophy. She had Ernstoff she wanted to explore a wide range found an intellectual home, and she graduated of academic disciplines. (In Israel, promptly declared philosophy as her from UW– students enroll in a specific degree major. Madison in program and have very little oppor- In her time at UW–Madison, May 2017 tunity to take classes outside of their Channi has contributed greatly to the with a double discipline.) life of the undergraduate philosophy major in phi- Channi first encountered philos- program. She was the president of losophy and ophy in high school, reading Mai- the Socratic Society (after two years psychology. monides and learning about Plato’s as co-president), our undergraduate In 2014, she received the Col. Jerome Allegory of the Cave. After high philosophy club. She has guided it Ellis Goodrich, (Ret. USMC) Scholar- school, she spent two years complet- from a handful of active participants ship, an annual award that supports ing her mandatory military service to kick-off events with more than 50 an undergraduate philosophy student in the Israeli army, but her interest students in the past couple of years. with academic merit and financial in philosophy was rekindled when While members strive for a high level need who is also a US citizen. She she enrolled in a First-Year Interest of philosophical rigor in their discus- received the award as a first-year Group (FIG) on vision during her sions, more than half of the members student, soon after declaring philos- first semester at UW–Madison. She are not philosophy majors. ophy as her major, and has been an took Introduction to Philosophy with Channi currently serves as a active member of the undergraduate Professor Sarah Paul, which covered tutor and mentor through City Year, philosophy community ever since. topics in philosophy of perception. a 10-month Americorps program Channi came to UW–Madison Channi immediately connected designed to address the graduation after living in Israel since she was with the sorts of questions that were crisis facing urban schools across the five years old. When asked whether asked in philosophy, and she noticed US. Upon completion of the program, she feels American or Israeli, she that not all of the students had the Channi plans to either go to graduate explains, “When I was in Israel, I felt same reaction. The next semester she school or continue working in the American, and here I feel Israeli.” took a smaller seminar with Sarah non-profit sector. She decided to come to UW–Madi- Paul on philosophy of law, which

New Administrative Team Member Cheryl Schutte Cheryl comed the new opportunity to work corn boil, and even a polka band. Schutte closely with faculty and graduate She is part of this big family all joined the students. She was also looking for a due to the fact that she was shopping department place that offered work and personal for a new car and got more than she as a part- life balance; this position seemed to was looking for in the deal. She met time finan- offer the best of both worlds. her husband Jody, one of the 17 and cial specialist And then there was the familiarity a local car salesman, about 30 years in fall 2016. with “event planning.” The depart- ago when she was “new car shopping.” She has a ment hosts many events, and Cheryl She did end up buying a car from him, bachelor’s is no stranger to planning them. In but after the deal was over, he called and master’s in Business Adminis- fact, since she married into a family of her weekly to see if she liked the car. tration from Edgewood College, and 17 siblings from Monroe, Wisconsin, Eventually he got up the nerve to ask previously served the state in various she has been planning lots of events. her if she’d like to get a cup of coffee administrative capacities, mostly in This small-town family is now spread and the rest is history. They have two medical settings, for about 21 years. all over the US. To keep in touch, they adult sons and two grandchildren When asked what attracted her to hold a 3-day family reunion every who live out of state. this position, she mentioned a couple other summer. Past events, which can Cheryl loves to cook and bake things. First, she liked the mixture of include up to 300 people when count- for her family, and it’s common for something familiar with something ing family and local friends, have Cheryl to arrive at work with a warm, new. She was familiar with financial involved a photo booth, fireworks, tasty treat for faculty and students to work and event planning, but wel- waterslide, camping, bouncy house, share.

4 WINTER 2017 Beloved Emeritus Professor Goes International In the summer of 2002, Professor Mike Byrd, who taught philosophy at UW–Madison for 32 years, received tragic news: his son, David, had gone missing in a remote part of southern Ecuador, where he had traveled alone. He was last seen on July 22 when he checked into a hostel in the small town of Zamora in the rain forest on the eastern slopes of the Andes. It is unknown what happened to him. Here’s how Mike describes the aftermath of his son’s disappearance, which led to the creation of David’s Educational Opportunity Fund: “As this unfolded and it became increasingly likely that David would not that I had taught math to in 2004. ty, to get an apartment near campus. return, I decided to resign from UW. In 2012, when we were supporting There are many other success stories. I thought that I needed to engage in six students, we decided to become As Mike writes: “Given the differenc- something intensely meaningful in a 501(c)(3) public charity so that es in economies, the cost of helping order to live with what had happened. people who gave us money, including this many students is not high, about In the summer of 2003, Maggie, my ourselves, could save on our taxes. $4,000 per student. Maggie and I still wife; Rachel, my daughter; and I Now we are supporting 16 students in go to Quito once a year for a month. traveled to Ecuador to see the area a variety of careers.” And we are in regular communication where David had disappeared. Along David’s Educational Opportunity with all of our students. Really what the way, we stayed at a Jesuit mission Fund provides financial, education- we have done is to extend our family; to the poor in Quito and the idea al, and emotional support to a small we have 16 college-aged sons and came to me that working there was group of poor but gifted high school daughters and another six or seven one way of responding to this terrible and university students in Ecua- who have graduated. We are part of event. In the succeeding 10 years, one dor (where the average income is many families in Quito and think of or both of us worked there as volun- $3,600 yearly). For example, David’s ourselves as having another 10 grand- teer teachers. I taught middle-school Fund enabled a student with serious children there. This honors the kind mathematics and Maggie taught vision problems to receive treatment of person David was.” health. Doing this did not remove the from an ophthalmologist; it enabled For more information about pain of losing David but it did change another student, who had previously David’s Educational Opportunity us. We started David’s Fund infor- needed to travel four hours by bus Fund, and to contribute, please visit: mally in 2008 with two young women each morning to attend her universi- davidsedfund.org/

YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE To mail a donation to the Department of Philosophy, please include the fund number (#1267904) and designation (Philosophy) on your check, made payable to the University of Wisconsin Foundation. Mail checks to:

UW Foundation U.S. Bank Lockbox P.O. Box 78807 Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807

To make a gift online, please visit: supportuw.org/give

THANK YOU!

philosophy.wisc.edu PHILOSOPHY Wisconsin Style 5 An Interview with Leonard Waks (PhD ’68, Philosophy) Modern Educational Theories. Bode Tools for Conviviality, distinguished had been a professor of philosophy between manipulative technologies at the University of Wisconsin, but that coerce people into behaviors in mid career he joined the educa- alien to their own ends, and ‘conviv- tion faculty at Ohio State. He was ial’ technologies enabling people in not so much a philosopher of educa- achieving their ends. Compulsory test tion as a philosopher in education, prep as a substitute for education is approaching educational literature a good example of the first. The tele- from administration and curriculum phone system is a good example of the to teaching and research as a critical second because it enables people to philosopher. I also saw myself as a speak to whomever they wish. In my philosopher in education; I didn’t em- recent book on MOOCs, I found this ulate Bode, but that book confirmed distinction useful because MOOCs for me the path I had already chosen may be used both manipulatively—as and have remained on to this day. a kind of technological entrapment— and ‘convivially’—allowing people 2 | Much of your research con- Leonard J. Waks earned both his BA to learn whatever they wish without cerns the interplay between (1964) and PhD (1968, Philosophy) the costs or inconveniences of degree technology and education. from UW–Madison. After stints at programs. What are some of your find- Purdue and Stanford, he went on to ings? 3 | Are there certain approaches teach philosophy of education and or methods of teaching that you educational leadership at Temple When I was in grad school I declared strongly endorse or strongly University, from where he retired an education minor. In the education discourage? as Professor Emeritus in 2005. He school I encountered the pervasive ef- recently received the John Dewey fort to reduce education to a technical Well, I’ve already spoken about my Society’s Outstanding Career formula—teaching either to achieve loathing for manipulative teaching Achievement Award. specific measurable objectives or to aimed at preset measurable objec- secure high grades on exams with tives. 1 | When and how did you get items selected from specified objec- I have become increasingly inter- interested in the philosophy tives. This idea struck me as not only ested in ‘active learning’ approaches, of education and educational stupid but also dangerous. many of which have been inspired by leadership? Soon enough I saw the same Dewey. These offer specific ways of In the sixties, many students were idea—I labeled it ‘technicism’ and am augmenting conventional lecture-dis- interested in education and reading told I was the first person to use the cussion methods. One example is books like A.S. Neill’s Summerhill and term in this sense—in many applied the ‘one-minute paper.’ The teacher Paul Goodman’s Compulsory Misedu- human sciences. Many government asks a question, and before taking cation and The Community of Schol- social programs are established to answers, all students write out their ars. It took some time before I looked achieve broad goals, and evaluations own answers for a minute or two and into philosophy of education. I took are required. Applied social scientists discuss them with peers. Then a few a seminar on Dewey’s Democracy thus compel program administrators are called on to answer in front of and Education in 1963, but I couldn’t to establish measurable objectives. the whole class. These techniques wrap my mind around it. After Dewey, This typically creates problems for encourage original thinking and build there wasn’t much in philosophy of the programs because they were in speaking and listening skills. All stu- education the 1960s, when Israel fact guided not by those reductive dents have to get into the act, not just Scheffler publishedThe Language of objectives but by tacit aims which the few talkative ones. Education and R. S. Peters launched are built into the conventions of the 4 | Who were some of your own a similar program of analytic philos- practices e.g., in social work or psy- favorite teachers during your ophy of education at the University chotherapy. time at UW–Madison? of London. To tell the truth, even So the first ‘conclusion’ to draw from my work is that such reductive though I saw myself as an analytic My favorite teachers at Wisconsin or ‘technicist’ programs are pro- philosopher, that work—although ex- were Eugene Kaelin, Fred Dretske, foundly destructive of sound practice. cellent in its way—never attracted me. Gerald MacCallum, and William Hay. In the 1970s anti-technology A book I admired was Boyd Bode’s I feel deeply blessed to have had these attitudes were widespread. These men as my teachers. struck me as confused. Ivan Illich, in

6 WINTER 2017 Faculty Highlights The Book Nook

John Bengson won a Vilas Associates award. He was also awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor.

Harry Brighouse’s book, Aims of Higher Education: Problems of Morality and Justice (co-edited with Michael McPherson), was awarded the 2017 Frederick W. Ness Book Award for the “ book that best contributes to the understanding and improvement of liberal education” by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

Paula Gottlieb presented her talk “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Aristotle’s Dan Hausman: Economic Ethics” at Grainger Hall on November 16 as part of the department’s Analysis, Moral Philosophy, ongoing series, UW Philosophers at Work. More than 150 members and Public Policy, 3rd edi- of the campus and Madison area community attended the event. If tion (Cambridge University you want to hear about department talks and events, send a message to Press, 2017). (with Michael [email protected] to be added to the mailing list. McPherson and Debra Satz) Anat Schechtman’s “Substance and Independence in Descartes” was named one of the top 10 papers of 2016 by the Philosophers’ Annual.

Elliott Sober’s Ockham’s Razors: A User’s Manual received honorable mention for the APA’s 2017 Sanders Book Prize.

Steve Nadler (with Ben Nadler): HERETICS! The Wondrous (and Dangerous) 2017 Award and Scholarship Winners Beginnings of Modern Philosophy (Princeton Graduate Student Awards and Scholarships University Press, to be published in June) Richard McHugh Memorial Scholarship: Ben Schwan Marcus G. and Blanche L. Singer Graduate Fellowship: Frank Cabrera The W. Oliver Prize for Best Graduate Student Essay: David O’Brien, for “Inequality of Opportunity: Some Lessons from the Case of Highly-Selective Universities” Larry Temkin Graduate Essay Prize in Value Theory: Megan Fritts, for “Measuring Well-Being and Valuing Virtue” Larry Shapiro: The Miracle William H. Hay II Award for Summer Research: Michael Schon Myth: Why Belief in the Resurrection and the Berent Enc Teaching Award: Emi Okayasu Supernatural Is Unjustified Undergraduate Departmental Awards and Scholarships (Columbia University Press, 2016) Charles Manthey Winter Scholarship: Poker Liu

Col. Jerome Ellis Goodrich (Ret. USMC) Scholarship: Hannah DeBrine Temkin Undergraduate Essay Prize: John Mathie

L&S Awards

Jane Goddard Scholarship: Alex Chen

Thomas W. Parker Scholarship: Channi Ernstoff Larry Shapiro: The Multiple Realization Book (with Thomas Polger) (Oxford University Press, 2016).

philosophy.wisc.edu PHILOSOPHY Wisconsin Style 7 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Madison, WI Spring 2018 Colloquiums Permit No. 658

The Department of Philosophy plans to host Department of Philosophy the following speakers in Spring 2018. For more University of Wisconsin–Madison information or to be added to the mailing list 5185 Helen C. White Hall for public department-sponsored events, please 600 North Park Street send your email address to: Madison, WI 53706 [email protected]

February 2: Nancy Cartwright, University of California at San Diego and the University of Durham

February 16: Tommie Shelby, Caldwell Titcomb Professor of African and African American Studies and of Philosophy at Harvard University

March 9: Elisabeth Camp, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University

March 16: Louis De Rosset, Professor and De- partment Chair at The University of Vermont

April 27: Elizabeth Harman, Professor of Phi- losophy and the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University

(Schedule subject to change)

Answers can be checked at philosophy.wisc.edu/crossword after December 22, 2017.