Humphrey Colloquium Provides National Philosophy Conference Experience for Undergraduate Students
February 5, 2025
By Stephanie Godward, Communications and Marketing Director, College of Arts & Sciences
Philosophy students from across North America will come together at UofL on Friday, Feb. 28 for the 22nd annual Steven Humphrey Undergraduate Philosophy Colloquium, a prestigious conference where young philosophers explore modern issues and philosophical questions both new and old.
With the conference, travel, and lodging fully funded by Dr. Humphrey, a philosopher himself, the event brings diverse minds together for a rigorous academic gathering, followed by a keynote address delivered by a well-known philosopher, along with professional networking opportunities.
Students have submitted papers on topics including Native American conceptions of nature, the political significance of anime, and artificial intelligence and the ethical, political, and philosophical significance of advances in technology. Other topics include the nature of love, autism, and examining psychology through a philosophical lens.
“Philosophy is really interdisciplinary, and it's really engaged,” said Philosophy Professor John Gibson, who is organizing the event.
Twenty percent of applicants are accepted, making this conference competitive for students who are submitting papers. One of the longest-running undergraduate philosophy conferences in the country, the Colloquium debuted in 2000 and was named in honor of Dr. Humphrey in 2001, in recognition of his financial support as well as his personal commitment to the event and the development of the students who participate in it. Though it started as a showcase only for local students, it has grown to attract students not only from UofL but from campuses across the US and Canada.
This year’s keynote will be given by Dr. Kristin Andrews of York University, Canada, a leading expert on the mental and social lives of animals. Her address is entitled, "Wild Society: Social Norms in Animal Cultures.” All are invited to attend the keynote event at 4 PM on Friday, Feb. 28 in room 218 at the Belknap Academic Building (BAB).
“We choose a keynote based on who seems like they are doing exciting, cutting-edge work that students can relate to, and Dr. Andrews seems particularly interesting in looking at the expansion of the moral community and the idea of the expansion of rational nature beyond what we think of as the traditional limits,” said Philosophy Department Chair Avery Kolers. “It really nicely connects Philosophy of Mind and Psychology with Ethics, Social, and Political Philosophy, where there are questions about the inclusion of animals in society, and whether animals are ours to use as we please.”
The keynote will also explore rationality, intelligent cognition, and whether it is seen in other species, demonstrating the interdisciplinarity of philosophy and its importance in fields like biology, psychology, and more.
After the conference, Humphrey hosts a banquet where students, faculty, and the keynote speaker connect and network.
“It's a really wonderful opportunity for all of these undergraduates to get their first taste of a professional academic experience,” Gibson said.
Members of the Philosophy Club and the Phi Sigma Tau National Philosophy Honors Society at UofL also get involved in ensuring the event runs smoothly, whether it means welcoming students at the airport with rides to campus, attending events, or participating in discussions at the colloquium.
Past participants have been inspired by the conference in a number of ways, including using the colloquium as a model for success.
"In the months after that conference, I led the creation of our own undergraduate philosophy conference at Arizona State University. I was president of ASU’s undergraduate philosophy club and particularly wanted to replicate the amazing experience I had in Louisville for my peers at ASU. Over and over again, I used the Louisville conference as a template —from the room setup to the dinner for student speakers after the conference,” said Nathanael Pierce of ASU after participating.
Gibson said as a professor, he looks forward to the wide range of voices and ideas that come together at the colloquium.
“It's been incredible to see over the years how intellectually diverse the submissions have become, and it really gives you a sense of how the discipline is developing,” Gibson said. “This is an intellectually and culturally diverse group of people who are exploring all sorts of issues that are very, very important, and many of which, as a professor, I haven't thought about before. It gets me to up my game a little bit every year, just to find out what other people are teaching students and what they're excited about.”
After the conference, students remain connected, which is another advantage of their participation, Kolers said.
“A neat thing to see is how the students form a philosophical community. They have group chats that survive for a long time, and they might go to grad school together,” Kolers said. “They continue to be a community long after the colloquium ends.”
