Recent

With Dr. Fred Abbate, Pennoni Honors College. Wednesday, May 12, 5:00pm, Stratton 113. Classical Just War Theory clearly proscribes courses of action that violate moral principles, whether those policies and practices are rationales for initially waging the war, how the war is conducted, or how combatants are treated at the war’s end. Terrorists throughout history have often claimed, however, that their policies are morally justified. Our conversation will explore on what conceivable moral grounds any justifications of terrorist actions can ever make sense. Fred Abbate holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Columbia University, a Master’s degree from Boston College, and an A.B. from Fairfield University. He has taught on the Philosophy faculties of Rutgers University, Iona College, and the New York City University system and has been teaching philosophy at the Pennoni Honors College of Drexel University for the past several years. He is the author of two books on philosophy, as well as numerous articles on such topics as politics and law, leadership, educational policy, and organizational decision-making; he also lectures and consults widely in these areas. His play, The Idea of Edison, was produced by New Jersey Public Television, and he wrote, directed, and performed in Keeping Time, the official play of the New Jersey State House Bicentennial Celebration. His mystery novel, A Perfectly Logical Murder, was published in 2006.

A Discussion with Dr. Leonard Finegold, Drexel Department of Physics. Can the conclusive results attained by experimental physics be compatible with the open-ended pursuit of philosophy? Join Prof. Leonard Finegold, a conventional condensed matter physicist who also holds a degree in philosophy, as he shares his first-hand view of the esoteric world of experimental physics from a philosophical perspective. Theoretical physics seems to some to have taken precedence in current physics research, yet the theories are manifested only in mathematical equations; how reliable are they in explaining the true nature of the world? Is experimental physics more veritable in that respect, or is it susceptible to the same ontological limitations? Prof. Finegold is also currently teaching a physics course examining the relationship between science and religion, and is on the editorial board of the Annals of Improbable Research, http://improb.com. The discussion will include a brief formal talk, but will be more of an interactive colloquy, with the evening focusing on questions from the attendees. All and any inquiries into the nature of physics, and science and religion will be welcome. Thursday, May 6, 5:00pm, Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister 032

A talk by Christopher H. Ramey, Ph.D Assistant Teaching Professor Psychology Department, Drexel University. What is the mind and what is the brain? Ought I to take a drug to ‘enhance’ my cognitive abilities or a pill to help me forget a painful memory? Is there free will and do we have responsibility for our actions? Neuroethics explores the ethics of neuroscience and the neuroscience of ethics, and forces us as scientists and as citizens to confront ourselves as moral beings in a community of others and as physical beings in a universe obeying natural laws. 5:00-6:30 Thursday April 29, 2010 Stratton Hall, Room 113

Thursday, April 22th 2010 at 5pm in MacAlister 5060, Ben Mystiuk gave a talk that generated a discussion about the ways money dominates and distorts life and the ways we think about the value of our work and our lives.

Thursday, April 8th 2010 at 5pm in MacAlister 5060, Sue Spaid hosted an informal discussion on philosophy, aesthetics, and art based on a paper she has been working on, "On the Intersection of Philosophy and Art." This paper articulates how different the aims and approaches of the artist and philosopher actually are.

Sexual behavior can be evaluated in various ways: ethically, pragmatically, legally, and aesthetically. After distinguishing between these evaluations, we will explore the possibility of yet other types of (perhaps less usual) evaluations. An interesting question is which of these evaluations is (or are) the most important, and why? One example we will keep in mind along the way is: engaging in sexual activity in public.Thursday, March 4, 2010 5:15-7:00 in The Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister 032

On Thursday February 18 2010 the Philosophy Club went to see the play, “No Exit” which was being performed by the Curio theatre Company at Calvary Church, 48^th and Baltimore Ave., details here: http://www.curiotheatre.org/Production4.html.

Dr. Perry , associate professor of the Program in Humanities and Sciences at Drexel's College of Nursing and Health Professions, has been working in bioethics for over 20 years. Her training in philosophy provides the foundation for her work on Clinical Ethics Committees, Institutional Review Boards, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees, and some other health care related organizations. She will explain the diverse and growing field of bioethics and discuss how ethical theory both informs and is informed by practice in health care and the sciences. Thursday, February 4, 2010 5:30-7:00 in The Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister 032. Co-sponsored by the Certificate Program in Medical Humanities

Thursday, January 12, 2010 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM in The Writing Center MacAlister Hall 032.

The Nexus of My Enthusiasms: Magic, Monsters, and Memoir

This montage of stories, dreams, and magic tricks will be presented by memoirist, magician, and Drexel Teaching Professor, Fred Siegel. Tuesday, November 03, 2009 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in The Writing Center MacAlister Hall 032.

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Led by Nicole I. Kline. Google defines information as “a message received and understood” and “knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction.” Many definitions of information include words like “knowledge,” “data,” and “news.” Donald Case, in his article Looking for Information: A Survey of Research on Information Seeking, Needs, and Behavior, uses Gregory Bateson's poetic definition of information: “any difference that makes a difference to a conscious, human mind.” Join us on Thursday, October 29th, in MacAlister 5060 as we explore the various definitions and ideas about information and information theory. Thursday, October 29, 2009, 5:00-7:00 The Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister, 0032

Presented by Dr. Emilie Passow. Narrative medicine is an approach to health care that illuminates aspects of the delivery of care by considering them as analogous to acts like storytelling, reading, interpreting, and writing. By thinking of medical practice in this manner, new dimensions of the experience and practice of health care are opened up. Dr. Passow will introduce and discuss with us some of the ethical aspects of this approach. All are invited. This event will be dedicated to the memory of our classmate, student, and friend Babur Khalique, and will be preceded by brief dedicatory remarks. Sponsored by the Drexel Certificate Program in Medical Humanities along with the Drexel Philosophy Club. Thursday, October 22, 2009 5:00 to 7:00pm Nesbitt, room 125 Ruth Auditorium

A Discussion of Some of the Major Issues in the Philosophy of Religion led by Professor Jacques Catudal. Thursday, October 1, 2009 5:00 to 6:30pm Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister 0032

Ethics and the 'Transhuman' Athlete:

A Discussion about Ethics, Fairness, and Human Nature Led by Professor Bryan Sacks of the Department of English and Philosophy. At what point do performance enhancement technologies begin to subvert the purposes of sport? What unintended consequences may ensue from embracing a "transhumanist" ethic? Professor Sacks will lead discussion of a number of fascinating and far-reaching questions regarding sports, ethics, and human nature. Thursday, August 06, 2009 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM MacAlister 5060

A Lecture and Discussion Featuring Professor Jacques Catudal of the Department of English and Philosophy

In this talk, intended as an introduction to the study of knowledge organization, Professor Catudal will present instances of knowledge organization taken from Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle and the Peripatetic philosophers who followed Aristotle. He will also discuss why the study of knowledge organization is important, and why it ought to be part of the college curriculum. Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 5:00-7:00 The Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister, 0032

A Lecture and Discussion Featuring Professor Don Riggs of the Department of English and Philosophy. The phenomenological philosopher Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) argued that we see only some aspects of things as given in experience, but other real aspects exist that transcend our limited perception. His student Roman Ingarden (1893-1970) agreed, but recognized that in literature, objects are imaginational. Hence all that exists of the things we encounter in literature are the “schematized aspects”—that is to say, there are no things in themselves that transcend what we're given in a text. Later thinkers, including Eugene Falk (1913-2000), sought to apply Ingarden’s insights to literary criticism. Dr. Riggs will explain and discuss the significance of Ingarden’s ideas with reference to some of his own poetry and other forms of discourse. Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 5:00-7:00 The Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister, 0032

A Lecture and Discussion Featuring Mr. Mark Dobbins. Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 5:00-7:00 The Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister, 0032

Lecture and discussion with Dr. Craig Ewasiuk of the Department of International Studies & Modern Language. Dr. Ewasiuk will talk about the political philosopher Thomas Hobbes' use of the myth of Prometheus in his writings. Hobbes envisioned a rivalry between those who benefit humankind through governance and those who do so through scientific inquiry and technological innovation. In De Cive and Leviathan Hobbes retells the archetypal myth underlying this antagonism—Zeus’s punishment of Prometheus, and his rendition of the story reveals a great deal about his understanding of the relationship between sovereignty and science. Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 5:00-7:00 The Writing Center, MacAlister 032

A Lecture and Discussion of Time and Fiction with Professor Don Riggs. Monday, April 20, 2009, 5:00-6:30 The Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister, 0032

Discussion of the difficulties of writing Utopian literature, and what a true Utopia would actually look like, led by Ms. Kathy Nolan. Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 4:30-6:30 Philosophy Conference Room Mac 5060

Discussion led by Professor Greg Johnson. Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 4:30-6:30 Philosophy Conference Room Mac 5060

Discussion of the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, led by Professor Craig Ewasiuk. Tuesday, March 3, 2009, 5:00-7:00 Philosophy Conference Room Mac 5060

Discussion of "The Theme of the Traitor and the Hero," "Death and the Compass," and "Borges and I," led by Ms. Nicole Kline. Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 5:00-7:00 Philosophy Conference Room Mac 5060

A Panel Discussion with Dr. Amy Bush, Dr. James A. Stieb, and Dr. Carol Mele. Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 5:00-7:00 The Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister, 0032

A Panel Discussion with Dr. Marilyn Piety, Dr. Amy Bush, and Dr. Carol Mele. Thursday, November 13, 2008, 5:30-7:30 MacAlister, 2019

A Wide-Ranging Discussion of Sports' Many Dimensions. Thursday, August 14, 2008, 5:30-7:30 The Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister, 0032

A Panel Discussion Featuring Faculty from the Philosophy Program. Thursday, July 24, 2008, 5:30-7:30 The Drexel Writing Center, MacAlister, 0032

A Lecture and Discussion Featuring Professor Gregory Johnson from the Philosophy Program. Wednesday, February 27, 2008, 6:00-7:30 MacAlister, 4016

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