The Fourth Annual Steven Humphrey Student Philosophy Colloquium

Friday, October 22, 2004

Sponsored by the U of L Philosophy Department, Philosophy Club, and Phi Sigma Tau

Student Papers

10:00 am “Invisible White Property,” Brian Jasper, University of Louisville
Commentator: Clay Marshall, University of Louisville

10:40 am “The End of Human Evolution: The Extinction of Homo Sapiens Via Technological Advancement,” Trace Lasley, University of Kentucky Commentator: Nadeem Siddiqui, University of Louisville

11:20 am “The Value Scientism of John Dewey,” Jason Fowler, University of Louisville
Commentator: tba

12:00 pm “On Faith, In Reason: Problems with the ‘Logic of Personal Relations’ and the Nature of Religious Faith,” Robert Williams, Vanderbilt University
Commentator: Ali Mian, University of Louisville

12:40 pm “Teson, Moral Individualism, and Beauvoir,” Daniel Weinstein, University of Louisville
Commentator: Emina Cosic, University of Louisville

1:20 pm “Soren Kierkegaard and Lisa Simpson,” Kristin Sherlin-Todd, University of Louisville
Commentator: Paul Hefley, University of Louisville

2:00 pm “The Sex Which Is Not Other: A Critique of Luce Irigaray’s Feminist Theory,” Brandon Harwood, University of Louisville
Commentator: Juliya Pogrebinsky, University of Louisville

2:40 pm “Enhanced Moral Agency: The Cognitive Side of Moral Life,” Claire Parsons, University of Louisville
Commentator: Katie Jarchow, University of Louisville

3:20 pm “Reading the Silences: Toward a Negative Understanding of Michel Foucault,” Adam Hutchinson, Transylvania University
Commentator: Byron Gary, University of Louisville

4:00 pm, Keynote Lecture - “The Metaphysics of the Occupants of Fiction”
Dr. Joseph Tolliver
University of Arizona
Abstract: Superman does not exist, yet we can say true things about him, e.g., ‘Superman is the adopted son of John and Martha Kent’ is true. Of what is this statement true? What has to exist for this statement to be true? It seems to be about Superman, but if he does not exist, statements about him should be either false or meaningless. Perhaps superficial grammar deceives in such cases. Perhaps truths apparently about Superman are really about the content of the fiction he occupies. This is an attractive option, but I think that it fails to do justice to everything we think that we can truly say about the occupants of fiction. Ultimately, we must accept that Superman is real, that he does exist. Of course accepting this does not seem to fit with our observation that ‘Superman does not exist’ is true. So, we must find some account of the existence of fictional entities that will square with our knowledge that they do not exist. I develop a view of fictions as a variety of trans-world entity.

All events are in Humanities Room 300.

For more information, contact Eileen John at 852-0452 or ejohn@louisville.edu.