2018-2019 Philosophy Symposium – “The Environment, Ethics & Stewardship” (Part 1)

Our 2018-2019 Philosophy Symposium Series “The Environment, Ethics & Stewardship” looked at numerous philosophical issues & perspectives related to ethics, the environment, and conservation stewardship, ranging from public vs. private land (including individual rights, collective rights, indigenous rights, other); landowner/steward-wildlife and habitat relationships, and; current & future environmental/conservation challenges. At this symposium, six panelists from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds focused on the first of these three areas of discussion and spoke for 7-10 minutes each. Then the forum was opened up to free-flowing audience-panelist Q & A. Access audio-video, photos & more here!

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May 2018 Philosophy Think & Drink (squared)

Our May Think & Drink (squared) was good fun. We enjoyed a wonderful discussion about morality & law led by Merlin advisory committee member & volunteer, Ryan Aikin. Click here to view what articles we read to prepare for our philosophical discussion and some other resources!

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Bringing Existentialism Home

Existentialism is a term that was explicitly adopted by Jean-Paul Sartre to refer to his philosophical work, but became identified with a larger cultural & philosophical movement that flourished in Europe in mid-20th century.  As an interesting sidebar, there are also some 19th philosophers who are referred to as existentialists,…

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The Modernity of Aristotle’s Political Philosophy

Think that the political philosophy of Aristotle is out-dated?  Think again.  In this article, Matt Qvortrup — Professor of Political Science at Coventry University — explores the surprising modernity of Aristotle’s works & its relevance to current day politics.   When thinking about government, for example, consider Aristotle’s claim in The…

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Leadership, Climate Change & Philosophy of Sport

The Olympics are about a lot of things. For this athlete, they are about trying to bring awareness and a sense of urgency to the threat & impact of climate change. Despite the fact that David Katoatau did not win a medal…he brings new meaning to the words “inspiration”, “champion”, …

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The Philosophical Knight – Søren Kierkegaard

Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard is oft regarded as a satirical, romantic iconoclast. Unlike many philosophers of his era, his prose was lyrical and poetic and the use of pseudonyms, paradox and irony were among his trademarks. Kierkegaard’s works explored such things as personal identity, duty, freedom, objective & subjective truths,…

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A Healthy Side of Negative Emotions

Merlin | A Healthy Side of Negative Emotions | Photo Credit: dratata.com

There is no doubt that positive emotions are worth cultivating. But must we be upbeat all of the time? Is there a healthy side of negative emotions and some value in experiencing them? Many philosophers (Schopenhauer comes to mind here) argue that embracing the full range of our emotions (including…

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