2019 IN REVIEW

philosophyNORTHWESTERN

Inside Message from the Chair

Dear alumni and friends, Faculty News 3 This has been yet another year of exciting Three Questions for initiatives, activities, and developments in the Three New Faculty 6 philosophy department. Our students and faculty are thriving; colloquia, workshops, conferences, 2018–19 Activities and other events continue to enrich our commu­ Roundup 9 nity’s intellectual life; and we are adding several colleagues to our ranks. We were delighted to Student News 13 welcome two Weinberg College fellows to the department: Megan Hyska (PhD, University of Prison Education Texas at Austin), who specializes in philosophy Program 16 of language and political philosophy, and Patricia Marechal (PhD, Harvard), who specializes in ancient philosophy, ancient medical theory, and ethics. We also welcomed postdoctoral fellow William Paris (PhD, Penn State), a specialist in Africana philosophy, black feminist philosophy, and African American philo­ sophy. In addition, we are excited to have recruited a new assistant professor of instruction, Chad Horne (PhD, University of Toronto), a specialist in bioethics and political philosophy who will join the department this fall.

Ongoing initiatives run by our undergraduate community include the Under­ graduate Philosophy Society and Women in Philosophy; the PhilFEST, celebrat­ ing senior students who write honors theses (see page 13); PhilNight, a series of minilectures by faculty members on topics selected by the Undergraduate Philosophy Society; and annual lectures, including the Inclusiveness Lecture, aimed at making the department more welcoming for all students, and the Bussey Lecture, featuring a high-profile woman in philosophy. The department boasts two new undergraduate-graduate initiatives: a Northwestern chapter of Minorities and Philosophy, the international student network aimed at address­ ing issues of minority participation in the field, and PHILm, a film society show­ ing and discussing movies with philosophical themes.

Continued on page 2 Message from the Chair, continued philosophyNORTHWESTERN

Department of Philosophy To continue making our undergraduate program as vibrant and productive as Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg possible, we constantly think about ways to improve our students’ experience. College of Arts and Sciences These include Northwestern University • teaching students to meet the highest standards of scholarship and to 1880 Campus Drive, Kresge 3-512 acquire the needed skills to critically examine complex questions and Evanston, Illinois 60208-2214 communicate effectively Phone 847-491-3656 Fax 847-491-2547 • expanding the variety of courses to offer students a learning experience touching a wide range of philosophical topics, perspectives, and traditions

Connect with Us on the Web • recognizing superlative accomplishments in philosophical work and philosophy.northwestern.edu citizenship by conferring annual awards for students’ outstanding Facebook and LinkedIn achievements Search for “Department of Philosophy, • supporting research opportunities and providing travel funds to Northwestern University” undergraduate students so they can present at national and international Twitter @NUPhilosophy venues

We Want to Hear from You • emphasizing support for student initiatives such as the Undergraduate Please email personal or professional Philosophy Society, Women in Philosophy, MAP, and PHILm updates and stories about your • creating and supporting new ways of integrating undergraduate, time at Northwestern to philosophy graduate, and faculty work in philosophy by fostering mentoring @northwestern.edu with “newsletter relationships, joint initiatives, and research opportunities item” in the subject line. • strengthening connections between our students and professional

Northwestern University is committed to networks that can help students jump-start their professional careers providing a safe environment free from after graduation discrimination, harassment, sexual miscon- duct, and retaliation. To view Northwestern’s The continued generosity of our alumni enables us to make this department complete nondiscrimination statement, see a thriving, energetic, and welcoming environment. All donations specifi­ northwestern.edu/equity/policies-procedures /policies/non-discrimination-statement.html. cally earmarked as gifts to the philosophy department are used wholly to For crime and safety data, see northwestern strengthen our programs and activities and benefit our students. A gift of .edu/up/your-safety/clery-act-safety-reports any size makes a considerable difference. .html.

© 2019 Northwestern University. All rights Thank you for your continuing friendship with the philosophy department reserved. Produced by Global Marketing and and for your ongoing commitment to Northwestern. Communications. 8-19/AE-KP/2869 Sincerely,

Cristina Lafont Professor and chair

To give online, please visit wewill.northwestern.edu/weinberg-philosophy. You may also make a contribution by calling the development office at 800-222-5603.

2 Faculty News

Mark Alznauer has been on Kyla Ebels-Duggan has been Michael Glanzberg continues his sabbatical for much of 2018–19, exploring ideas for her book project research on theories of truth and spending time with his family and on the reasons people have for paradox and on the nature of linguistic traveling to Spain, England, Italy, valuing and loving things: that while meaning and its connections to and rural Pennsylvania. He gave valuing and loving are attitudes for cognition. He is the editor of the Oxford talks at the University of Navarra in which people have reasons, they are Handbook of Truth, recently released Pamplona, Oxford University, the not attitudes to which people could by Oxford University Press, and has University of Padua, and Tulane reason; that reasons for loving depend published papers on the connection University and concluded his term in part on direct experience and between mind and language and as vice president of the Hegel Society appreciation of valued things; and the nature of context dependence. of America. He is currently editing that such experience can yield reasons Glanzberg often collaborates with a collection of essays on tragedy that outstrip any attempt to formulate researchers both in the United States and comedy in Hegel’s philosophy them. She gave presentations on and abroad and has recently presented and working on three projects of the project at Rice University, papers in Austria, Croatia, and Latvia his own. The first concerns Hegel’s the University of Wisconsin, the as well as at US universities. An theory of truth, a theory that is University of California, San Diego, associate editor of Linguistics and unique in characterizing individual and elsewhere. The recipient of a Philosophy, he serves on the boards of concepts as true or untrue; the second Public Voices fellow­­ship from the several journals in addition to chairing examines the connection between OpEd Project, a group that promotes the consulting board for the University poetry and theodicy; and the third— op-ed and similar writing by women of Latvia’s Laboratory for Perceptual more aspirational than the others— and other under­represented groups, and Cognitive Systems. considers the problem of slavery and she published articles in Psychology social progress in 19th-century Today and The Hill and has others Sandy Goldberg returned from social theory. in the works. She participated in a a sabbatical year with a renewed June workshop at the University of commitment to teaching and research. Penelope Deutscher continues as Notre Dame on teaching courses on He published the book To the Best of associate director of the Critical philosophy as a way of life and hopes Our Knowledge (Oxford University Theory Cluster and principal inves­ to launch a pilot course for first-year Press), about knowledge as a social tigator on the Critical Theory in students in spring 2020. affair, and finishedConversational the Global South grant; in the latter Pressure, forthcoming from Oxford, capacity, she organized the November Sean Ebels-Duggan taught courses about the expectations generated 2018 conference “Decolonizing in logic and a first-year seminar when we speak to one another. He Critical Theory” at Northwestern. on Augustine’s Confessions. He is taught courses on speech act theory, She traveled to France and Mexico finishing a project on identity criteria philosophy of language, and the pros­ to give keynotes on gender studies of abstract objects and has been pects for self-knowledge. Of the lec­ and deconstruction. Her 2017 book thinking about whether “logical” tures he gave in the United States and Foucault’s Futures, published in and “mathematical” are different abroad, none was more rewarding than Spanish translation this year, was the classifications and why they are his lecture at Stateville Correctional topic of an author-meets-critics panel interesting. Although he did not Center in Illinois as part of the Prison at the Society for Phenomenology and achieve moral perfection this year, Education Program run by philosophy Existential Philosophy’s 2019 confer­ his “pizza skills,” he says, “improved department colleague Jennifer Lackey. ence and won the Canadian Associa­ somewhat.” He says it was inspirational to see tion for Continental Philosophy’s 13th inmates show interest in what some Annual Book Award. might deride as esoteric points in phi­ losophy of language.

3 Faculty News, continued

Richard Kraut is collaborating with the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, José Medina continues his research David Ebrey (Humboldt University, Mexico, and Switzerland, she also on epistemic injustice and on issues Berlin) on a second edition of the published op-eds in the Washington of race, gender, and sexuality in Cambridge Companion to Plato— Post and Psychology Today and visual and verbal communication. A slated for publication in 2020, 28 recently gave a TEDx Talk on prison keynote speaker at several national years after the first edition—that education. and international conferences, he will contain eight new essays and traveled to Peru, Singapore, Canada, revised versions of seven previously Philosophy department chair Germany, and several US universities published essays. Kraut’s book The Cristina Lafont finished her book to present papers on critical race Quality of Life: Aristotle Revised Democracy without Shortcuts, to be theory, gender theory, and political (Oxford University Press) came out issued by Oxford University Press epistemology. He published essays in November, and he taught two in December, in which she defends in Feminist Philosophy Quarterly, 2018–19 graduate seminars: Love and a participatory conception of Southern Journal of Philosophy, and Friendship in Plato and Aristotle, and deliberative democracy against in several edited volumes, in addition Hedonism and Antihedonism. other conceptions of democracy to coediting the forthcoming volume that, she argues, would actually Theories of the Flesh: Latin-American Jennifer Lackey completed her undermine the democratic ideal and US Latina Feminist Theories first year as inaugural director of of self-government. She taught a (Oxford University Press). Medina the Northwestern Prison Education course on Heidegger and Gadamer is coeditor of Symposia on Gender, Program (see page 16) and chair of the on interpretation and published her Race, and Philosophy and cofounder American Philosophical Association’s research in journals and collections; and coorganizer of the Midwest Race Committee on the Status and Future her articles included “Neoliberal Theory Workshop, which convened in of the Profession. She is working on a Globalization and the International April at Northwestern. book, The Epistemology of Groups, Protection of Human Rights” in and finished editing the essay collec­ the journal Constellations and Axel Mueller received the support tion Academic Freedom, both forth­ “Separation of Church and State” in of the student groups Minorities in coming from Oxford University Press. the forthcoming book The Blackwell Philosophy, Women into Philosophy, Her papers on norms of credibility, Companion to Atheism and Philosophy, its graduate counterpart WIPHICA, false confessions, testimonial injus­ edited by G. Oppy. Invited to discuss and the Northwestern Undergraduate tice, the duty to object, the quality of her book manuscript and other work Philosophy Society for his ongoing assertions, group lies, and academic at conferences in Prague, Mexico, administrative efforts to diversify freedom appeared in journals and Oslo, Hamburg, Boston, New York, the canon at Northwestern. The edited collections. She continues as and elsewhere, she continued her new advanced course Philosophy of editor in chief of Episteme: A Journal research as codirector of the research Science, which develops the field’s of Individual and Social Epistemology, project Global Capitalism and Law at realism-constructivism debate as editor of Philosophical Studies, and Northwestern’s Buffett Institute for a background for contemporary epistemology subject editor for the Global Affairs. discussions of gender and race in social Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. ontology, resulted from these efforts. A presenter at conferences and insti­ While he put finishing touches on a tutions in the United States, China, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, Singapore,

4 special issue of Philosophy and Social Stephen White was on leave in Criticism on populism, his “other 2018–19. As a Laurance S. Rockefeller soul,” he says, “collected pebbles visiting faculty fellow of Princeton’s of the mosaic that an article on University Center for Human Values, the philosophy of neuroscience he gave talks and developed a series as laboratory science will become.” of papers exploring parallels between the ethical principles concerning For Ken Seeskin, the 2019–20 a person’s participation in collec­ academic year will mark the end tive actions and practices and those of a 47-year run, during which he governing a person’s own conduct will have taught close to 10,000 over time. His paper “Intention and students (by his reckoning). When Prediction in Means-End Reasoning” Northwestern first hired him, the was published in American Philo- philosophy department was in a sophical Quarterly. He also gave talks house on Hinman Avenue, and com­ at the University of Toronto and the puters of the era were so massive, American Philosophical Association’s they occupied whole buildings. He Central Division meeting and helped is currently putting finishing touches organize the May conference of the on Thinking about the Prophets, a Northwestern Society for the Theory sequel to his book Thinking about of Ethics and Politics. the Torah. A conference honoring his contributions to the University Rachel Zuckert finished her will be held in May 2020 (see page 17). book Herder’s Naturalist Aesthetics (Cambridge University Press), which Gregory Ward holds faculty appoint­ was years in the making. Otherwise, ments in philosophy, linguistics, and 2018–19 was pretty much all Kant, gender and sexuality studies and all the time. President of the North currently codirects the Sexualities American Kant Society, she gave talks Project at Northwestern, an initiative on Kant’s epistemology and aesthetics that promotes research and education in China, Denmark, and the UK; on sexuality, sexual orientation, and taught two upper-level undergraduate health in social context. In addition courses on Kant’s philosophy; and to teaching and presenting talks, most cotaught Philosophy of Religion with recently at the Linguistic Society of colleague Ken Seeskin. She also taught America’s conference in New York, he a first-year seminar on philosophical published papers on the pragmatics and literary views of the self. of natural language and was named to the 2018–19 Associated Student Government Faculty Honor Roll. He will be on sabbatical in 2019–20.

5 Three Questions for Three New Faculty

Megan Hyska Tell us about your dissertation and where your research is going next. My dissertation was written as three papers, all con­ cerned with how conversations are organized into topics. I focused on “higher-order” talk—conversational contri­ butions that characteristically function not just to elabo­ rate on, but to evaluate, clarify, and revise the existing conversational structure. I also explored the idea of how modeling a conversation’s topic structure can represent the way issues are collaboratively deliberated in that conversation, which suggests a new way of using linguis­ tic data to contrast agents’ deliberative strategies. This in turn suggested a novel way of using formal linguistic tools to study sociopolitically interesting features of mass discourse, such as polarization and propaganda. Since defending my dissertation last spring, I’ve been Megan Hyska thinking about the general form of a theory of propa­ ganda, the role of discourse structure in theories of engaged and intelligent collection of 15 students arguing communication, and how to use formal linguistic tools to all quarter about what democratic ideals require of our characterize how dissident speech can disrupt a conver­ attempts to persuade one another, what kinds of messages sation, both as a tool of salutary political resistance and count as propaganda, and how digital media alter the con­ otherwise. Finally, I’ve been integrating my account of tours of public discourse. higher-order speech into a more general picture of how What have you found notable about Northwestern planning and plan revision work in conversation. undergraduates so far? What courses did you teach this year, and what In one seminar I required students to hand in and meet excited you about them? with me about a rough draft of their papers. I was sur­ I taught an introduction to the philosophy of language prised and impressed by how seriously the students took and a first-year seminar on propaganda. Both were the revision process, submitting final papers that demon­ delightful. In the philosophy of language course, I taught strated really careful rethinking of their drafts’ arguments papers by Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, Donald in light of our discussions. This receptiveness to critical Davidson, and other central figures of the analytic feedback has been a joy to encounter. tradition who have exhilarated me ever since my first encounters with them as an undergraduate myself. And in the propaganda seminar, I had an astonishingly

6 Patricia Marechal

Patricia Marechal Tell us about your dissertation and where your research is going next. William Paris My dissertation explored the interplay of passion and intellect in a well-lived life. I argued that while Plato toward these psychic illnesses. A longer project of mine exhorts us to cultivate proper feelings merely to keep is to investigate the impact of these ancient Greek philo­ disordered passions from interfering with reasoning, sophical and medical theories on the Islamic world. The Aristotle thinks the passions contribute substantively Islamic authors synthesized philosophical and medical to three intellectual achievements that are essential to views on psychic health and made original, significant Megan Hyska human flourishing: practical wisdom, contemplation, connections between ancient Greek philosophy and and the appreciation of art. According to Aristotle, medicine, in ways that remain largely unexplored in then, passion is the basis for epistemic excellences that Anglo-American philosophy. are central to a good life. What courses did you teach this year, and what I am currently pursuing a number of research projects. excited you about them? One explores Galen’s views on melancholy, a condition strikingly close to what we call depression. Galen, the I taught Introduction to Ancient Philosophy, focusing most famous doctor of the ancient world, recommended on the philosophical views of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, therapies for overcoming this psychic ailment that are Epicurus, and Epictetus. What excited me most about at times surprisingly familiar. For example, he suggests the class were the questions these authors try to answer: taking trips to beautiful destinations or listening to our What are the fundamental constituents of reality? How favorite music; at other times his therapies seem odd— do we come to know things? How can we be happy? for example, drinking white hellebore to restore black What makes for a just society? These questions are bile to its normal levels, thus easing despondency. He enduring and still motivate philosophers and scientists. also suggests that if we get in the habit of imagining hor­ I also taught the upper-level undergraduate course rible tragedies befalling us, real problems won’t sadden Ancient Theories of Desire. We investigated the nature of us, since they will never match up to those catastrophic desire, the relationship between desire and action, and scenarios. I believe that reflecting on this example and the role of different kinds of motivation in a good life. Do others like it can help us shed light on the ways different human and nonhuman animals share the same kinds explanatory frameworks engender different attitudes of desires? Are there different species of motivational

7 Three Questions, continued

states? Are desires a sort of belief, a kind of affective state, What courses did you teach this year, and what or something else? How does desire relate to pleasure, excited you about them? pain, and the emotions? I taught Introduction to Political Philosophy and the What have you found notable about Northwestern upper-level African American philosophy course Race, undergraduates so far? Rationality, Revolution. I enjoyed both courses immensely. It’s been wonderful to see students who are not In Political Philosophy we examined the role of “state philosophy majors or minors get excited about classical of nature” arguments in the philosophical construction philosophy. My impression is that students don’t rest of just political societies. I showed students the explic­ until they understand the difficult texts we read in class, itly racial role of the state of nature in Western political and they always raise original and interesting questions. thought and how taking this seriously allows us to bet­ I was pleasantly surprised to see that students come ter understand contemporary political societies. Race, to office hours to keep discussing the course materials. Rationality, Revolution was historical, examining the It’s been a delight to work with students who are so contentious relationship between race and rationality intellectually curious and who have a real passion for from the turn of the 20th century to today. Throughout the learning. course we were able to historicize the dynamic relation­ ships between race, rationality, and political movements. What have you found notable about Northwestern William Paris undergraduates so far? Tell us about your dissertation and where your These courses were my first with Northwestern under- research is going next. graduates. What surprised me was not only that most In my dissertation I studied Frantz Fanon, Sylvia students did the readings but that they closely engaged Wynter, and Hortense Spillers as philosophers of race with the texts. They asked probing and challenging who claimed that humanism, in the aftermath of slavery questions that enhanced the lecturing experience. In and colonialism, needed to be reinvented. I traced the past I have often had to lecture as if the students their arguments that notions of gender, sexuality, and had not done the reading, which meant there was little identification would all have to be reconfigured if a more time for discussion and elaboration of the themes. just world were to be brought about. My current work At Northwestern, I can assume the reading has been takes up these themes in a book manuscript titled done and proceed to more complex philosophical “Black Mythologies: Race, Culture, and the Practice territory. It’s wonderful teaching such curious and of Utopia.” I develop a notion of Blackness that is not thoughtful students who are willing to reflect openly reducible to racial identification but is regarded instead on issues such as race and injustice. as a historical mythology that designates who properly belongs in political society and who does not. The invention of Blackness has produced devastating consequences for many peoples around the globe since the advent of slavery and colonialism, but my book proposes that by centering the violence of slavery and colonialism in the construction of political society, new mythologies of solidarity can be generated that will go beyond racial, cultural, and national identification.

8 2018–19 Activities Roundup

The After-Life of Phenomenology The Ancient Philosophy Workshop The Brady Program’s 2019 senior Workshop, now in its eighth year, welcomed a variety of scholars to class completed a project that is the only Northwestern workshop workshop a wide range of papers on addressed Evanston’s affordable series organized by graduate students ancient philosophy and its relevance housing problems. Meanwhile, third- that features continental philosophy. to contemporary issues. In addition year Brady students plan to continue Cosponsored by Northwestern’s to Sean Kelsey (Notre Dame), Connie exploring ways to serve the city’s philosophy, German, and French Meinwald (University of Illinois at migrant population. Professor Anne and Italian departments, the Critical Chicago), and Marc Gasser-Wingate Eaton will join the program as a Theory Cluster, and the Chicago-Area (Boston University), speakers 2019–20 visiting faculty member. Consortium in German Philosophy, included Emily Fletcher (University An associate professor of philosophy of Wisconsin–Madison), who exam­ at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Laura Papish ined the relationship of justice and she holds an MA in art history and injustice in Plato’s Republic, arguing a PhD in philosophy and art his­ that justice and injustice are “inde­ tory from the University of Chicago, pendent ingredients” in the life of specializing in aesthetics and phi­ any person; Patricia Curd (Purdue losophy of art, feminist philosophy, University), who spoke on the “way ethics, the Italian Renaissance, and of truth” in the poem of Parmenides, feminist art history, theory, and criti­ focusing on how to reconcile the cism. Eaton taught the second-year poem’s two disparate halves and course The Good Society for the Brady arguing that Parmenides endorses a Program in 2012–13 and 2016–17. Her book Rough Heroes: Philosophical Patricia Curd Reflections on Cinema, Morality, and Art is forthcoming from Oxford Uni­ versity Press. An Evanston resident for decades, Eaton looks forward to the workshop hosted six talks in mentoring Brady Scholars who are 2018–19: James Kreines (Claremont collaborating on community service McKenna College), “Absolute Idealism projects. and the Meta­physical Definitions of God: Hegel on Aristotle and Spinoza”; The Chicago-Area Consortium in Sally Sedgwick (University of Illinois German Philosophy held its 10th at Chicago), “An Argument for Geist’s annual workshop in June, conven­ Historical Nature”; Vicky Spencer ing at DePaul University’s Lincoln (University of New Zealand), “Herder Park campus and featuring talks and Relativism”; Daniel Smith by area faculty. During the year the (Purdue University), “The Pure Form form of monism that still allows for consortium hosted speakers Andrew of Time and the Power of the False: scientific investigation; and Richard Cooper (University of Warwick), Deleuze on Temporality and Truth”; Patterson (Emory University), whose James Kreines (Claremont-McKenna Laura Papish (George Washington paper asked where in fact our moral College), Vicki Spencer (Otago Uni­ University), “Radical Evil in Light intuitions come from, speculated on versity, New Zealand), and Jennifer of Kant’s Natural Historical Writings”; where they should come from, and Uleman (SUNY Purchase), who gave and Samir Haddad (Fordham Univer­ argued that Plato concurs with the talks on Kant’s philosophy of science, sity), “Questions of the Foreigner in main claims of social intuitionism in Of Hospitality.” cognitive science.

9 Activities Roundup, continued

Hegel’s metaphysics, Herder’s phi­ losophy of history, and Nietzsche’s treatment of race, respectively. Another highlight: Northwestern philosophy PhD Laura Papish (George Washington University) came back to campus to visit a class and lecture on Kant’s theory of evil. Chicago-Area Consortium in German Philosphy

The Climate Committee—a department initiative aiming to raise downtown Chicago for both prospec­ and Marisa Belausteguigoitia awareness and hear concerns about tive and current students who identify (National Autonomous University the challenges that marginalized peo­ as members of marginalized groups. of Mexico) and including the ple and groups encounter in the field Serving on this year’s committee were participation of Northwestern of philosophy and in Northwestern’s graduate students John Beverley, philosophy graduate students Carmen philosophy department in particular— Hansen Garlington Breitling, Carmen De Schryver and Taylor Rogers. Also welcomed Ariana González Stokas to De Schryver, and Regina Hurley. taking active roles in the project campus to deliver the 2019 Inclusive­ were José Medina of Northwestern ness Lecture, “Tracing Epistemic Rep­ The Critical Theory in the Global and Mellon international predoctoral aration: Outlining the University as a South Project is an initiative of fellow Cintia Martinez of National Collective Site of Amends.” González the International Consortium of Autonomous University of Mexico. Stokas, formerly dean for inclusive Critical Theory Programs, a Mellon excellence at New York’s Bard Col­ Foundation–funded consortium lege, was recently named Barnard jointly housed at Northwestern College’s vice president for diversity, and the University of California, equity, and inclusion. During the year Berkeley, that facilitates intellectual the committee hosted a tea for pro­ exchange and illuminates the global spective students and an evening in form and reach of critical theory today. It sponsored many 2018–19 events, including a talk by Gabriela Ariana González Stokas Balcarce (University of Buenos Aires), “Resistance and Argentinian Feminism”; graduate student workshops at Argentina’s National University of Tres de Febrero, Alejandra Uslenghi, Penelope Deutscher, and Daniel Link discuss the Spanish translation of led by Northwestern faculty Deutscher’s recent book Foucault’s Futures as Penelope Deutscher (philosophy) part of the Critical Theory in the Global South and Alejandra Uslenghi (Spanish project. (Photo: Sebastian Freire) and Portuguese) in collaboration with Daniel Link (University For further information about of Buenos Aires); and graduate the project, see criticaltheory student workshops in Mexico City .northwestern.edu/mellon-project on curriculum development, led by /critical-theory-in-the-global-south. Andrew Parker (Rutgers University)

10 The Epistemology Brownbag Series Autonomous University of Mexico as featured 10 speakers during 2018–19, well as DePaul, Loyola, Marquette, including Robert Audi (University and Northwestern. One featured of Notre Dame), Nevin Climenhaga paper was by Marzouq Alnusf of (Australian Catholic University), Rik Northwestern, “Behind the ‘Seen’: Peels (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), A Critique of Al-Saji’s Account of Declan Smithies (Ohio State Univer­ Racializing Vision and Hesitation.” sity), and Heather Spradley (Harvard University). The Northwestern-Notre Dame Epistemology Conference, now The inaugural year of the Film and in its 10th year, was held at the Philosophy Society (PHILm) for University of Notre Dame and undergraduates highlighted movies featured a keynote by Jason Stanley (Yale University) and papers on with philosophical themes (broadly Peter Railton construed). The lineup included 13th, responsibilist evidentialism, Sorry to Bother You, and I Am Not Your epistemic obligations to know, the Negro—films that examine race and relationship between credence and the prison system, race and modern perception, and the relationship capitalism, and the philosophy of race. between self-deception and pragmatic Also in the lineup was Conspiracy, encroachment. an on-screen reenactment of World War II’s Wanssee Conference, The Northwestern Undergraduate which touches on the nature of Philosophy Society, pursuant to totalitarianism along with important its self-described aim of “fostering themes raised by Hannah Arendt. a safe climate to practice earnest conversation and providing a The Midwest Race Theory great way to meet other lovers of Workshop, cofounded and inquiry, regardless of major,” held coorganized by Northwestern’s José weekly meetings at Evanston’s Medina, DePaul University’s María Celtic Knot Public House, the type Sarah Stroud Acosta and Elizabeth Millán, Loyola of establishment where most great University Chicago’s Jaqueline Scott, philosophical notions originate (says addiction, war, climate change, and and Marquette University’s Grant NUPS), with free chips courtesy of the absolute goodness. Lively discus­ Silva, is a regional organization philosophy department. sions fostered a genuine philo­ that connects faculty and graduate sophical community during the students who work in critical The Northwestern University conference’s three days. The event philosophy of race. MRTW meets Society for the Theory of Ethics was coorganized by faculty mem­ quarterly for a full day of paper and Politics held its 13th annual bers Kyla Ebels-Duggan, Richard presentations and discussions of NUSTEP conference in May, featuring Kraut, and Stephen White, with help works in progress, rotating among keynotes by Sarah Stroud (University from graduate students and depart­ the coorganizers’ home campuses. of North Carolina) and Peter Railton ment staff. To see the full schedule This year’s meetings included (University of Michigan) and papers for this and past years’ conferences, presentations by faculty and on a wide range of topics, includ­ visit philosophy.northwestern.edu graduate students from National ing hypocrisy, akrasia, smugness, /community/nustep.

11 Activities Roundup, continued

The NU MAP (Minorities and presentations in 2018–19: Megan Philosophy) chapter invited DePaul Hyska (Northwestern) spoke on “The University’s María del Rosario Acosta Information-Structural Dynamics of Lopez to deliver its inaugural lecture Discourse Revision and Repair”; last fall. In December it hosted a J. J. Lang (Stanford University) dis­ moderated discussion, organized cussed the nature and norms of asser­ by the Critical Theory Cluster, that tion; and Northwestern graduate addressed the “decolonization” student Mauricio Maluff Masi work­ of South African universities. NU shopped a paper on the dynamics of MAP’s reading group met throughout conversational presupposition and its the year, aiming to “decolonize” potential role in political polarization. the undergraduate philosophy curriculum. The chapter received The Practical Philosophy Workshop Kristie Dotson funding from the Marc Sanders invited several scholars to make Foundation to send a team to the presentations on issues related to the Gertrude Bussey Lecturer, Kristie 2019 National High School Ethics uses of philosophy and philosophical Dotson of Michigan State University. Bowl; the resulting collaboration with techniques in everyday life. Samuel A feminist epistemologist and students from Chicago’s Sullivan High Fleischacker (University of Illinois philosopher of race, Dotson seeks School will continue next year as they at Chicago) spoke on empathy to center the Black feminist voice, prepare for the 2020 competition. and demonization; William Paris (Northwestern) on Franz Fanon which has been routinely pushed to the margins in philosophy, and PHILnight 2019, the annual event and race; David Ingram (Loyola dismantle the race- and gender-based at which Northwestern philosophy University Chicago) on the impact hierarchies that shape both who faculty give 15-minute talks for of microlending on women’s agency; gets to produce knowledge and what undergraduates and take audience Marya Schechtman (UIC) on the counts as knowledge. In her Bussey questions, drew a lively group of both phenomenon of the awareness of lecture, “Beyond the Now: Epistemic philosophy majors and nonmajors oneself in time and its relation to Oppression and the ‘Common’ to hear José Medina, who spoke identity; Elvira Basevich (University Sense of Mass Incarceration,” she on epistemic resistance and the of Massachusetts at Lowell) on the built on her notion of epistemic depiction of violence; William Paris, promise of Black radical Kantianism; oppression—the systemic exclusion who highlighted the challenges and Asha Bhandary (University of of women, people of color, and other of “decolonizing” philosophy; and Iowa) on the problem of perpetuating marginalized people from knowledge Axel Mueller, who discussed the social inequalities when modeling production and distribution—by pragmatics of objectivity. The event persons as caring in liberal care recounting a personal anecdote that was organized by the Northwestern theory. vividly illustrated the importance of Undergraduate Philosophy Society, storytelling in philosophy. The annual WiPhi, and MAP-UG/Decolonizing Student group Women in Philosophy lecture is named after the recipient Philosophy. (WiPhi) continued to create a supportive network for people of the first philosophy doctorate conferred by Northwestern and is The PhLing workgroup, which brings of underrepresented genders at hosted by WiPhi and the philosophy together faculty and students from all levels of philosophical study. department. Northwestern’s Alice philosophy, psychology, linguistics, In April, WiPhi’s copresidents— Kaplan Institute for the Humanities and other cognitive sciences to dis­ undergraduate Agneska Bloch and cosponsored this year’s lecture. cuss topics in linguistics and the graduate student Regina Hurley—had philosophy of language, hosted three the honor of introducing the 2019

12 Student News

Department hosts 10th injustice, I argue, requires reform Joseph Lamps annual PhilFEST at the interpersonal, institutional, “General Workspace Theory and supra-institutional levels and the Modularity of Mind” through affirmative action that PhilFEST, a highlight of spring (supervisor: Michael Glanzberg) will both change the conditions in quarter, marks the culmination American philosopher Jerry Fodor which knowledge is produced and of the academic year with senior has argued that the mind’s peripheral disseminated and seek to amplify the honors students presenting their faculties are modular, meaning encap­ voices of marginalized knowers. research in 10-minute speeches, each sulated and domain-specific, but followed by audience questions; the central faculties are not. Against this, Conor Jones whole undergraduate philosophy my paper develops arguments that “Can Morals Be Learned?” community then welcomes visitors the peripheral faculties are not totally (supervisor: Michael Glanzberg) and celebrates with food and Every adult has access to a rich and drink. Presentations are always substantive array of moral judgments. at an extraordinary level, thanks How are these judgments realized to enthusiastic students with psychologically? And how do we ambitious projects and dedicated acquire them? Using arguments supervisors. Presenters each receive a from the foundational linguistics “philosophy love rose” signifying the literature as an analogy, I claim that department’s appreciation for their the content of our moral judgments is accomplishments. largely mediated by an innate moral This year’s PhilFEST, held on faculty too structurally complex to be April 16 and attended by about 35 people from all over Northwestern, featured five senior honors students, whose research is summarized below in their own words. Conor Jones

Agneska Bloch “Why Can’t Virtue Alone Correct Epistemic Injustice?” (supervisor: José Medina) Not being heard or not having a voice can be a collective epistemic problem of justice. The recently developed paradigm of epistemic injustice powerfully elucidates this problem as systematically threatening Agneska Bloch the individual agency of knowers in our epistemic communities. learned from experience. In this way, I argue that this paradigm has our moral capacity is not learned; it important limitations and propose is acquired, like our sense of vision to extend it: combatting epistemic or our first language’s grammar, and selected from a set of capabilities innately available to us.

Joseph Lamps Student News, continued

modular and that central faculties notion of ethics. In the alternate communicative ideal I take the First are somewhat but not totally modu­ interpretation of ethics I provide, it Amendment to pursue, presents lar. It uses heuristics, language, and is an ethical requirement to perform silencing speech, and explicates how it connectionism to weaken Fodor’s God’s will. challenges the communicative ideal in arguments against central modu­ the context of examining existing First larity and ultimately uses general Tyler Washington Amendment jurisprudence. On this basis, I analyze a recent Mississippi workspace theory to take it down. “Silencing Speech and Specifically, it argues that a domain- court case to conclude that the the First Amendment” general global workspace surrounded Mississippi state flag, and the require­ (supervisor: Axel Mueller) by domain-specific modules provides ment that it be taught in Mississippi The First Amendment to the US a framework for understanding public schools, institutes conditions Constitution claims to protect domain-general thinking in a modular that make free speech impossible Americans’ right to free speech, but mind, which Fodor pessimistically because of the discriminatory silenc­ the amendment itself is remarkably argued was impossible. ing of speech the flag inevitably con­ quiet on what free speech entails stitutes. Therefore, the Mississippi and the extent to which it should state flag’s current presence in class­ Daniel Nahon be protected. My work defines the “The Binding of Isaac and the rooms should be regulable in court by the First Amendment. Nature of Religious Morality” (supervisor: Rachel Zuckert) Jun Kyung You This paper critically examines “The Prospect of Moral Kierkegaard’s interpretation of Artificial Agents” the story of the binding of Isaac— (supervisor: Axel Mueller) specifically, Kierkegaard’s stance I deal with two separate but related that faith transcends ethics. I argue questions: “What is the desirable that this transcending of ethics only direction of moral artificial agent occurs given a Hegelian-Kantian development?” and “Is the idea of a moral artificial agent coherent?” Inquiries into the first question aid answering the second. Since there are limited desirable options in

Daniel Nahon developing moral artificial agents and these are rarely being pursued in AI ethics research, there are also limited possible (in the normative sense) conceptions of moral artificial agents. I show that these limited possible conceptions make it unlikely for us to recognize the decisions of moral artificial agents as trustworthy, reliable, or bound by constraints similar to (often contingent on) those of human moral reasoning and, therefore, that Tyler Washington artificial agents ought not to be taken as having gained full moral agency.

14 Jun Kyung You 2018–19 Departmental Awards

Herder Prize for the best paper written by a first- or second-year student

Carl Morison, “The First Amendment and Its Universal Necessity for Democratic Deliberation” (Axel Mueller, instructor)

Jack O’Leary, “A Quinean Analysis of Augustinian- Ontological Metaphysics” (Sean Ebels-Duggan, instructor) Agneska Bloch, Conor Jones, and Daniel Nahon

Brentano Prize for the best paper written by a third- or fourth-year student

Jake Gordon, “Reconciling ‘Constructionism’ with ‘Internalism’: Are Dominant Feminist and Transgender Theories Consistent?” (Axel Mueller, instructor)

Daanish Khazi, “Unresolved: Kant and the Problem of Free Will” (Rachel Zuckert, instructor)

David Hull Prize for the best senior thesis of the academic year

Agneska Bloch, “Combatting Epistemic Injustice with Kyla Ebels-Duggan, director of graduate studies, with (Epistemic) Affirmative Action” (José Medina, supervisor) McCarthy Award winner Ann Corbitt

Philosophy honors for accomplishments as a philosophy major, work in the honors program, Stephen Toulmin Prize for the year’s best philosophy and thesis (titles shown) grade point average for a graduating philosophy major

Honors with distinction Agneska Bloch Agneska Bloch, “Combatting Epistemic Injustice with (Epistemic) Affirmative Action” (José Medina, supervisor) Lula A. Peterson Prize for exemplary citizenship as a philosophy major Conor Jones, “On Moral Judgments: Acquisition, Structure, and Innateness” (Michael Glanzberg, Agneska Bloch for her leadership and engagement on behalf supervisor) of philosophy students as the department representative on the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences student advisory board, as Jun Kyung You, “Moral Artifacts: Enframing, ‘Ready-Ethics,’ well as her work as president of WiPhi, organizer of the Bussey and Anthropocentrism” (Axel Mueller, supervisor) Lecture, and liaison among undergraduate philosophy organiza- tions, and her efforts on behalf of all Northwestern undergraduates Honors as a member and officer of the Associated Student Government Joseph Lamps, “How Global Workspace Theory Can Weaken Arguments against Modularity” (Michael Ruth Barcan Marcus Award for tutoring in formal logic Glanzberg, supervisor) Emily Winterhalter

Daniel Nahon, “The Binding of Isaac as a Lens into the Lily Zhang Nature of Religious Morality” (Rachel Zuckert, supervisor) Thomas A. McCarthy Award for Excellence in Teaching Tyler Washington, “Silencing Speech and the First by a philosophy graduate teaching assistant Amendment” (Axel Mueller, supervisor) Ann Corbitt

15

Northwestern Prison Education Program

What’s next for the The Northwestern Prison Education Jennifer Lackey Class of 2019? Program is the only program in Illinois to provide an undergraduate liberal Their Northwestern under­ arts curriculum to incarcerated people. graduate careers are behind Founded and directed by Jennifer them. Here’s what some of our Lackey, the Wayne and Elizabeth Jones philosophy majors and minors Professor of Philosophy, and run at are doing next. Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, Illinois, NPEP admitted its Daanish Khazi “I will be inaugural cohort of 22 students last fall. joining Roland Berger as a junior Students pursued coursework in consultant.” sociology, legal studies, philosophy, Joshua Krivan “I will be psychology, playwriting, and litera­ attending law school in fall 2020. ture; participated in reading groups In the interim, I hope to work at facilitated by NPEP’s graduate student a law firm as a paralegal/legal advisory committee; met for weekly assistant.” study halls with volunteers and peer Hansen Breitling, a first-year grad- Daniel Nahon “I will be educators; and hosted a highly success­ u­ate student in the Department of working for a recruiting firm ful One Book One Northwestern event. Philosophy, describes his experi­ in Chicago for a year while ence with NPEP as giving him “a applying to law school for the As NPEP prepares for its second round renewed respect and appreciation following year.” of admissions, plans are in motion for the transformative effects of edu­ Ian Su “I’ll be working at to offer several new courses this fall: cation. Getting to know, work with, Singapore’s Public Utilities Chemistry of Nature and Culture, and learn from the students in the Board as an industrial engineer.” Writing the Dramatic Television Pilot, program, as well as the other volun­ George Tan “I am going to Quantitative Reasoning, and Violence teers, has consistently been the most Georgetown to pursue a degree Reduction and Transformational important and enjoyable part of any in law.” Change in the Justice System. With the week. I am so grateful to NPEP for Tyler Washington “I will be Illinois Department of Corrections, the opportunities it has provided attending the University of NPEP will also run admissions in two me to make meaningful connections Michigan Law School.” additional medium-security facilities with others while being able to assist Daniel Wu “I will be teaching this year, allowing the program to reach with the educational journey of the English in Malaysia for one year more incarcerated people and create students in the program.” on a Fulbright scholarship educational opportunities for those before returning to the States, close to release. Lauren Leydon-Hardy, a depart­ where I have a consulting job ment graduate student who received NPEP has also begun facilitating four- with Deloitte.” her PhD earlier this year and will to-six-week minicourses taught by Jun Kyung You “I will be applying join Amherst College this fall as an senior graduate students from across to graduate schools in philosophy assistant professor of philosophy, Northwestern. The student volunteers and law schools this year and will adds, “As a first-generation student, teach college-prep skills-building be staying in Korea while I wait for I have always known that education courses, which culminate in North­ the results.” is transformative. Through NPEP, western University certificates of however, my understanding of the completion, to incarcerated people life-changing power of education has awaiting trial at Cook County Jail. been exponentially deepened. I have

16

Northwestern Prison Education Program

also come to know some of the Save the date! most truly incredible people and made friendships that will last a lifetime. Every aspect of this work has been a gift.”

The new Northwestern student group Under­graduate Prison Education Partnership has sup­ ported NPEP by recruiting tutors, hosting outreach events, and rais­ ing funds for academic supplies. UPEP is finalizing a series of workshops at Stateville focused on such subjects as mindful­ ness and academic skills. UPEP founder and president Sophia Ruark says, “I am so lucky and thankful to work with NPEP and be a part of the lives of these stu­ dents. We work hard to ensure that our tutoring and support are positive contributions to their The Department of Philosophy will host a pursuit of education, because our conference May 5–6, 2020, in honor of Professor students deserve quality educa­ tional opportunities. I am grateful Kenneth Seeskin’s retirement. All alumni are to serve this community, and I heartily invited to join us in celebrating Professor look forward to the future of our work.” Seeskin’s research, teaching, and service to the University. In particular, alumni may wish to Studies show a 43 percent reduc­ tion in recidivism rates for incar­ attend Professor Seeskin’s May 6 public lecture, cerated people who participate which will serve as the conference keynote and in prison education programs. Indeed, the higher the degree, as the Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick Lecture the lower the recidivism rate: in Jewish Civilization, cosponsored by the Crown 14 percent for those who obtain Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies and an associate’s degree, 5.6 percent for those who obtain a bach­ the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. elor’s degree, and no recidivism Conference details will be announced when they for those who obtain a master’s degree. NPEP believes in the are finalized. transformative power of educa­ tion and is excited to continue this work.

17