Philosophy

Join “Hollywood Reimagined with AI” in an in-person Lab-to-Table Conversation on November 10 at Sarratt Cinema. Read More

Robert Talisse’s Open Inquiry Award recognizes his work on effective argumentation—an increasingly relevant topic for today’s polarized campuses and public squares. His work provides astute observations about the current climate and offers invaluable solutions to decrease polarization and improve constructive discourse. Read More

Philosophy scholar David Thorstad’s mathematical modeling approach may spark counterintuitive discussions about existential risk and how to mitigate it. He concludes that we must rethink recent arguments in favor of prioritizing existential risk over other pressing problems. Read More

Paul C. Taylor, W. Alton Jones Professor and professor of philosophy, has received an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to seek out patterns in the way people and organizations think about equity, diversity and inclusion, which can impact EDI interventions. Read More

The School of Medicine Basic Sciences brought together a biologist, a Christian theologist, a philosopher and an astrophysicist June 17 for a lab-to-table conversation exploring their views and academic perspectives on the origins of life. Read More

How do academics with diverse areas of expertise view the origins of life? A June 17 virtual discussion hosted by the School of Medicine Basic Sciences will bring together perspectives from single-cell biology, theology, space and time and metaphysical philosophy to explore the unique and common understandings among the fields. Read More

Centennial Professor of Philosophy John Lachs will retire and receive emeritus status on Aug. 15, after more than 50 years of teaching at Vanderbilt University. Lachs’ thought-provoking lectures have been perennial favorites among not only students, but also many alumni, who eagerly have signed up for his numerous appearances at Reunion and Vanderbilt chapter events. Read More

Robert B Talisse will deliver an online gallery talk, “Overcoming Partisan Politics,” hosted by the Frist Art Museum on Friday, May 8. The session over Zoom, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 3 p.m. Read More

Robert Talisse, W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy, will discuss and sign copies of his new book, Overdoing Democracy: Why We Must Put Politics in its Place, at Barnes & Noble at Vanderbilt on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. Read More

Assistant Professor of Philosophy Diana B. Heney studies the history of philosophy and how people have grappled for thousands of years with questions like, “What is it to be human?” and “What is it to be a good human?” Read More

Steven Yue Heng Yang, a philosophy and economics double major who is on track to graduate from Vanderbilt this May after completing all of his course requirements in just three years, has been named to the 2019-20 class of Yenching Scholars. This highly competitive award provides a fully funded master’s degree in one of six core areas of study at the Yenching Academy at Peking University. Read More

People who feel chronically lonely are often struck by the fact that no one seems to need them. In the next Berry Lecture in Public Philosophy, the University of Warwick's Kimberley Brownlee will explore the tragedy of chronic loneliness, the moral urgency of our need for social connection, and the social human rights that this need grounds. Read More

Paul C. Taylor is W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy. Read More

Vanderbilt faculty and alumni are featured at the free Southern Festival of Books, happening this weekend at War Memorial Plaza and the downtown Nashville Public Library. Read More

College of Arts and Science professors Suzana Herculano-Houzel, David Ikard and Robert Talisse are among the speakers at the TEDxNashville event March 16–17 at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Read More

Vanderbilt has acquired three rare 17th-century volumes by famed philosopher Baruch Spinoza, thanks to the Provost's Library Collective Initiative. They will be on public display March 12. Read More

British writer, actor, comedian, and self-described "tall person" John Cleese will speak on "Thinking Creatively" at Vanderbilt's Sarratt Cinema Nov. 11. Read More

Read about the latest faculty, staff and alumni awards, appointments and achievements. Read More

An Emmy-winning writer for 'The Daily Show,' three journalists whose careers have been shaped by innovation, and a woman judge who blazed new trails have been named to the Student Media Hall of Fame. Read More

When Michael Caruso walked across the Commencement stage and received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt in 1972, pursuing a Ph.D. seemed unlikely. Despite falling in love with philosophy after taking an introductory course with Centennial Professor of Philosophy John Lachs his sophomore year and declaring it… Read More