Recent News
Hapatia Update
The turn of July marked the half-way point in the five-year editorial term of Hypatia's sojourn at UW. The editorial office has been hosted by the Simpson Center for the Humanities since July 2008, under the editorship of Alison Wylie and with tremendously strong support from the Department of Philosophy. This past year graduate students Karen Emmerman served as the managing editor, and Asia Ferrin as editorial assistant; along with the advice and support of the UW... Read more
Moral Imagination Event
On April 27th, the Philosophy Club hosted Professor Emeritus Charles Johnson (UW English), who led an examination on "Moral Imagination," and the role of philosophy in literature. Charles Johnson received the 1990 National Book Award for his novel Middle Passage, was a MacArthur Fellow in 1998, and the recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Literature in 2002. He has also authored four novels, two collections of short stories, two... Read more
Biological Futures Initiative
Biological Futures in a Globalized World is a joint initiative of the Simpson Center for the Humanities and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC).
This spring saw the launch of an ambitious two-year project on the social impacts and ethical implications of fast-moving developments in the biological sciences. Philosophy faculty are centrally involved, and it will bring to the department a Postdoctoral Fellow with expertise in (non-medical) research... Read more
Philosophy for Children
This year the Northwest Center for Philosophy for Children, with the help of a three-year grant from the Squire Family Foundation, was able to expand its Philosophers in the Schools program both locally and regionally. The program sent UW graduate and undergraduate students, as well as the Center's staff, into six different primary and secondary schools, where they facilitated philosophy classes that reached over 500 young people. The Squire grant is supporting stipends... Read more
Global Justice, Undocumented Immigration - Amnesty?
The world contains within it wealthy nations and poorer nations, and on any plausible theory of global justice the underdevelopment of the poorer nations is unjust. How, in light of this, should we understand the morality of amnesty for undocumented immigrants? Does the fact that such immigrants are fleeing unjust poverty give rise to a justice-based claim to remain within the society in which they have sought refuge?
Fully answering these... Read more
Every coin has two sides. I learned this again when I told people that I had been asked to serve as Chair for the department. The first response that I heard was a quick "Congratulations," often accompanied with a handshake and smile. But the next thing I heard, almost immediately afterwards, was almost always, "Condolences." The same smile was present during both utterances. Being Chair is that kind of thing, I suppose. Let me say a little about both sides of the job.
On the one hand, I am... Read more
Alumni News
Jack Bayne, M.A., 1974
After earning his M.A., Jack spent the next 14 years teaching mainly US Military personnel in Europe for the University of Maryland, European Division. He then moved to Boston and began teaching for the University of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He has taught at both institutions ever since and attained Senior Lecturer status a few years ago. He and his wife are looking forward to... Read more
Friends of Philosophy
Gifts to the department are crucial to our success in enhancing educational opportunities for our students.
The Philosophy Department at the University of Washington thanks the following individuals, as well as those donors who wish to remain anonymous, whose contributions help support our programs.
Undergraduate student awards, scholarships, and resources for future graduate scholarships would be impossible without the support of our... Read more
Value of Your Philosophy Degree?
The University of Washington Philosophy Department is in the process of creating a brochure and website about the value of a philosophy degree. We believe this will be a useful resource for both incoming students, who are determining if they would like to major in philosophy, and alumni, who need to explain to a potential employer the value of a philosophy degree.
Please help us in creating these informational items by taking a few minutes to... Read more
"New" Savery has New Art
Thanks to alumnus, Jim Riswold, (B.A., 1983, Philosophy, Communications, and History) our "new" home in Savery Hall just got better. Jim generously donated several of his latest collection of art work (titled Philosophy is Not Funny) to the Philosophy Department, and it is now displayed throughout the main office area.
For many years, Jim was a partner for the Portland based advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy. While there, as Creative Director... Read more