Winter 2022

The Department of Philosophy is saddened to announce that Emeritus Professor Karl Potter has passed away. Karl joined the Department of Philosophy and the Far Eastern and Russian Institute in 1970, then associated with South Asian Studies. He served as chair of the department from 1986-90 and officially retired in 1997, though he continued to teach for some years afterward. Prior to joining the department, he taught at the University of Minnesota from 1956-70. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard… Read more
Congratulations to Professor Carole Lee on being selected for the Simpson Center for the Humanities 2022-2023 Society of Scholars. The Society of Scholars is an intellectual community of humanists of diverse generations, academic ranks, and departmental affiliations who contribute to and learn from one another’s work. Each year, approximately eight faculty research fellowships and three dissertation research fellowships support members of the Society of Scholars. The scholars meet biweekly… Read more
Congratulations to Nic Jones, winner of the 2021-2022 Graduate Student Teaching Award! Nic was selected by the philosophy faculty for stand-out work in their inspired summer course, Medical Ethics, which approached course material with a powerful focus on racism, ableism, and transphobia, as well as their work as a teaching assistant in classes such as Environment Ethics. Their teaching techniques showed real dedication to active, student-led learning. Faculty members noted that Nic’s work, “… Read more
Congratulations to The Philosophy Society on publishing the first issue of their undergraduate philosophy journal, The Garden of Ideas! The Garden of Ideas won a 2021 Husky Seed Fund Award. Husky Seed Funds are awarded by the Husky Experience Student Advisory Council with funds from the Office of the Provost. These awards bring to life innovative ideas by students that are inclusive, impactful, and inventive.… Read more
For the past two years, the philosophy department has been sharing course introduction videos from faculty, giving students a sneak peek at what to expect in their course and a feel for the professor’s teaching style. Here are a few highlights from spring quarter 2022: Professor Ian Schnee’s Philosophy of Film class: Professor Colin Marshall's Persuasion or Manipulation? The Ethics and Psychology of Influence class: Professor Amelia Wirts' Philosophy of Law class: Check out each quarter’s… Read more
The legendary “Philosophy: I’m in it for the money” t-shirts and hoodies are back by popular demand. Order yours today! T-shirts come in grey or white with the slogan on the back, or gold and purple without the slogan, and are $20. Hoodies are black with the slogan on the back for $35. Limited sizes of heather grey hoodies without the slogan are available. We also have department hats in grey, white, and black for $15, and mugs for $10. To purchase, please stop by the Philosophy main office in… Read more
Professor Michael Blake explains how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership style, which has been praised by both the citizens of Ukraine and political leaders abroad, demonstrates how he is the antithesis to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strongman style. In this, Zelenskyy represents an image of not only resistance to authoritarianism, but also how leaders might appear as they engage in such resistance. [Italian philosopher and novelist Umberto] Eco, who grew up in fascist… Read more
In 2020, Michael Blake wrote for The Conversation about accounts of former President Trump’s frequent lying and making misleading claims. He examined the fact that every U.S. president has lied and that these lies can be morally defensible. Critics of President Joe Biden are now insisting that he, too, is a liar, and that the media is ignoring pointing out his false statements. Blake has revisited the issue in a new article. The frequency of these criticisms would seem to indicate… Read more
Nancy Jecker examines the ethics of removing the mask mandate in public spaces in an opinion piece for The Seattle Times. Governor Jay Inslee has announced that the state will end its indoor mask requirement on March 12th, 2022, following the CDC guidelines. Jecker reflects on how this will expose vulnerable populations to increased risk, and how a new subvariant of Omicron, BA.2 shows evidence of being a more severe disease with the potential to spread faster than other variants. “How… Read more
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