PHILOSOPHY Winter 2017 | for Alumni and Friends of the Department of Philosophy WISCONSIN STYLE
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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 JEFF MILLER, UNIVERSITY 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.