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The Ageing Brain: panel discussion this Thursday at Dundee

Talk Title: The Ageing Brain: A Risky Route to Wisdom?

Date: Thursday, November 13, 2014

Time: 6:30-7:45pm (Refreshments served beginning at 5:45pm)

Description: Have you ever wondered how our brain ages? How do our thoughts, and approach to the world around differ when we are young versus more mature? What changes are associated with normal aging vs. those that are related to disease? The MRC Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC-PPU), part of the College of Life Sciences at The University of Dundee is organizing an event for the Dundee Science Festival that would integrate multiple experts from diverse disciplines on a panel discussion around the question ‘what is aging?’.  The planned event is an informal gathering between the general public (adults) and an interdisciplinary group of thinkers, artists, philosophers and scientists with an interest in the brain, all of whom can approach the theme of wisdom, aging and learning from different perspectives. The goal of this event is to foster a discussion between panel of diverse experts but more importantly between the audience and the panel. Refreshments will precede this discussion

Panel Participants:

Fiona Ross • Scottish Journalist & Broadcaster

Miratul Muqit • Neurologist • University of Dundee

Elaine Shemilt • Professor of Fine Art Printmaking • University of Dundee

Karen Petrie • Senior Lecturer • School of Computing • University of Dundee

John Starr • Co-Director • University of Edinburgh Centre for Cognitive Ageing

Guy Fletcher • Lecturer in Philosophy • University of Edinburgh

Location: Dalhousie Building, The University of Dundee

Getting to Dundee: By Train Dundee train station is the nearest train station to the University of Dundee and is located approximately 1 mile from campus. Parking is available next to The Dalhousie Building in the Dundee City Council Car Park.

Registration Information:  This event is free but due to limited seating capacity, please reserve your seat by sending an email to MRC-PPU-PublicEngagement@dundee.ac.uk and providing the following information:

• Name

• Email address

• Number of tickets you wish to reserve

• Question for Panel Participants (optional)

Ask Panelists Questions!  Do you find this subject intriguing? Why not ask a question? Please submit any questions for panellists ahead of time by sending an email to MRC-PPU-PublicEngagement@dundee.ac.uk.

 

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Philosophy events, week of 10th November

Research seminars next week (more information):

  • Barbara Sattler (University of St Andrews) at Glasgow’s Senior Seminar on Tuesday, 11th November.
  • Charlie Kurth (Washington University in St Louis), “Why Moral Anxiety Matters,” at St Andrews’ Philosophy Club on Wednesday, 12th November.
  • Victor Tadros (University of Warwick) at Edinburgh’s Epistemology Research Group on Wednesday, 12th November.
  • Keith Wilson  (University of Glasgow), “Are the senses silent? A plea for representational humility,” at Stirling’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Thursday, 13th November.
  • Margaret Morrison (University of Toronto), “What is the role of fictions in science?,” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Debates on Thursday, 13th November.
  • Paolo Santorio (University of Leeds) at Edinburgh’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Friday, 14th November.

Other events next week (more information):

  • David Cooper (Durham University) at Edinburgh’s Philosophy Society on Thursday, 13th November.
  • Early Analytic Group, Stirling, 15th November.  Speakers: Bryan Pickel (University of Edinburgh), Fatema Amijee (University of Texas, Austin), Peter Sullivan (University of Stirling), Michael Potter (University of Cambridge).
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Early Analytic Group meeting on 15th November

Stirling’s Early Analytic Group will meet on Saturday November 15, 2014, 11am-5:45pm, in the Pathfoot Building, Room A7, University of Stirling, for a book symposium on David Bostock’s recent book on Russell’s Logical Atomism.

The speakers will be:

  • Bryan Pickel (University of Edinburgh)
  • Fatema Amijee (University of Texas, Austin)
  • Peter Sullivan (University of Stirling)
  • Michael Potter (University of Cambridge).

All are welcome; please let <w.b.pedriali@stir.ac.uk> know if you plan to attend so that the appropriate catering arrangements can be made.

The programme:

Book Symposium on David Bostock’s Russell’s Logical Atomism

Saturday November 15, 2014

Pathfoot Building, Room A7

University of Stirling

11—11:15 welcome coffee

11:15–12:30 Bryan Pickel (Edinburgh): “All sound philosophy should begin with an analysis of propositions: On Bostock on Russell”

1:30–2:45 Fatema Amijee (Austin): “Russell’s Principle of Acquaintance: why believe it?

2:45–3 coffee break

3–4:15 Peter Sullivan (Stirling): TBA

4:15–4:30 coffee break

4:30–5:45 Michael Potter (Cambridge): “Russell’s logical construction of matter”

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2014 SPA Annual Meeting: registration now open

The 2014 Scots Philosophical Association Annual Meeting will be held on 5th and 6th December, 2014, at the University of St Andrews.  Registration is now open; please follow this link to register:

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/philosophy/events/?eventid=593

The deadline for registration is 28th November.

The programme:

Friday 5th December

  • 13:45-14:15: Registration and refreshments.
  • 14:15-15:15: Andy Peet (University of St Andrews), “Testimonial Knowledge without Knowledge of What is Said”
  • 15:30-16:30: Annual General Meeting (SPA members only)
  • 16:30-18:30: Keynote Address: Prof Julia Driver (Washington University in St Louis) Title tba
  • 19:00: Dinner for those who have registered in advance, at The Russell Hotel, St Andrews

Saturday 6th December

  • 10:00-11:15 Ben Sachs (University of St Andrews), “Political Philosophy with a Purpose”
  • 11:15-11:30 Tea/Coffee
  • 11:30-12:45: tba
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Philosophy events, week of 3rd November

Research seminars next week (more information):

  • Catherine Abell (University of Manchester) at Glasgow’s Senior Seminar on Tuesday, 4th November.
  • Joanna Hodge (Manchester Metropolitan University), “Of the Event: Sexual Difference, Ontological Difference, Historical Difference,” at Dundee’s Philosophy Seminar on Wednesday, 5th November.
  • Kim Sterelny (Australian National University), “Evolution and Moral Realism,” at St Andrews’ Philosophy Club on Wednesday, 5th November.
  • Louise Richardson (University of York) at Edinburgh’s Philosophy, Psychology, and Informatics Reading Group on Wednesday, 5th November.
  • Thomas Land (University of Cambridge), “Kant, Perception, and the Argument from Animals,” at Stirling’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Thursday, 6th November.

Other events next week (more information):

  • Jessica Brown (University of St Andrews) at St Andrews’ Philosophy Society on Monday, 3rd November.
  • John Michael (Central European University) at Edinburgh’s Philosophy Society on Thursday, 6th November.
  • Arché Graduate Conference, St Andrews, 8th – 9th November.  Keynote speakers: Penelope Mackie (Nottingham), Ian Rumfitt (Birmingham).
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Dudley Knowles

Friends,

I’m sad to report that Dudley Knowles passed away yesterday.  Dudley was a long-time Treasurer of the Scots Philosophical Association and member of the SPA Committee, and a member of the philosophy faculty at the University of Glasgow for 38 years.  He was passionate in his devoted work for the SPA, and the Association is flourishing today thanks, in large part, to him.  He is remembered here:

http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/humanities/staff/dudleyknowles/

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Philosophy events, week of 27th October

Research seminars next week (more information):

  • Michael Blome-Tillmann (McGill University/University of Cambridge), “On the role of statistical evidence in courts of law,” at Edinburgh’s Epistemology Research Group on Wednesday, 29th October.
  • Claire Sergent (University Paris Descartes), “Retro-perception: how retrospective attention influences conscious perception,” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy, Psychology, and Informatics Reading Group on Wednesday, 29th October.
  • Chris Timpson (University of Oxford), “Timelike experimental metaphysics: Macroscopic Realism and the Leggett-Garg inequality,” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Debates on Thursday, 30th October.

Other events next week (more information):

  • Sarah Broadie (University of St Andrews) at St Andrews’ Philosophy Society on Monday, 27th October.
  • Andrew Pickering (University of Exeter) at Edinburgh’s Philosophy Society on Thursday, 30th October.
  • Mereology Workshop, St Andrews, 1st – 2nd November.  Speakers: Achille Varzi (Columbia), Kris McDaniel (Syracuse), Josh Parsons (Oxford), Gabriel Uzquiano (USC/Arche), Aaron Cotnoir (St Andrews), Caroline Tougourg.
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Philosophy events, week of 20th October

Research seminars next week (more information):

  • Robert Audi (University of Notre Dame), “Normativity and generality in ethics and aesthetics,” at Glasgow’s Philosophy, Psychology, and Neuroscience Research Seminar on Monday, 20th October.
  • Tom Dougherty (University of Cambridge) at Glasgow’s Senior Seminar on Tuesday, 21st October.
  • Robert Audi (University of Notre Dame), “A Theory of Intuition and Intuitive Justification,” at St Andrews’ Philosophy Club on Wednesday, 22nd October.
  • Ellen Fridland (King’s College, London), “Motor Control: Handling Conditions Vary” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy, Psychology, and Informatics Reading Group on Wednesday, 22nd October.
  • Craig Taylor  (University of Adelaide), “Impartial Morality and Universalizability,” at Stirling’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Thursday, 23rd October.

Other events next week (more information):

  • Elizabeth Fricker (University of Oxford) at Edinburgh’s Philosophy Society on Thursday, 23rd October.
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Philosophy events, week of 13th October

Research seminars next week (more information):

  • Frank Durgin (Swarthmore College), “The angular expansion hypothesis of locomotor space perception” and “What is “embodied perception” the embodiment of? A critical review,” at Glasgow’s Philosophy, Psychology, and Neuroscience Research Seminar on Monday, 13th October, and Wednesday, 15th October.
  • Toby Meadows (University of Aberdeen) at Glasgow’s Senior Seminar on Tuesday, 14th October.
  • Robin McKenna (University of Vienna) at Edinburgh’s Epistemology Research Group on Wednesday, 15th October.
  • Jennifer Corns (University of Glasgow), “Hedonic rationality,” at Stirling’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Thursday, 16th October.
  • Nancy Cartwright (Durham University/University of California, San Diego), “Predicting what will happen when we intervene,” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Debates on Thursday, 16th October.
  • Helen Steward (University of Leeds) at Edinburgh’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Friday, 17th October.

Other events next week (more information):

  • Derek Ball (University of St Andrews) at St Andrews’ Philosophy Society on Monday, 13th October.
  • iCog2: Perspectives on Learning, Edinburgh, 15th – 16th October.  Speakers: Andrew Philippides (Sussex), Jean-Marc Dewaele (Birkbeck), Szu-Han Wang (Edinburgh), Alex Doumas (Edinburgh).
  • Symposium on Recanati, St Andrews, 16th – 17th October.  Speakers: Jonas Åkerman (Stockholm), Imogen Dickie (Toronto), Manuel García-Carpintero (Barcelona), Rachel Goodman (Leeds), Simon Prosser (St Andrews), Francois Recanati (Institut Jean Nicod).
  • Alan Weir (University of Glasgow) at Edinburgh’s Philosophy Society on Thursday, 16th October.
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Political Thought in the Early Modern Period

Hosted by the Institute of Intellectual History, St Andrews
The 5th North Sea Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy
Political Thought in the Early Modern Period
Friday 10 – Saturday 11 October, Hebdomadar’s Room, St. Salvator’s Quad, St Andrews
Keynote speakers: Hannah Dawson (NCH) and Lena Halldenius (Lund)
Full programme:
To register, please contact James Harris at jah15@st-and.ac.uk
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Philosophical Quarterly essay prize: deadline approaching

A reminder that the deadline for the Philosophical Quarterly essay prize is 1st November, 2014.  Details are here and pasted below.

The Philosophical Quarterly invites submissions for its 2014 international prize essay competition, the topic of which is ‘Humans and Other Animals’.

What lessons can we learn from thinking about our relations with non-human animals? For instance:

  • What are the differences, and what are the similarities, between capacities for cognition and agency in humans and other animals?
  • What moral constraints, if any, are there on our treatment of them?
  • Which theoretical perspective gives the best answers to questions about the morality of our relations with non-human animals?
  • Might it be our moral duty to prevent animals from harming each other?
  • Are there good moral objections to eating meat from animals genetically engineered to be unconscious?

We welcome submissions of 8,000 words or fewer addressing these or other questions about humans and other animals.

Essays should be typed in double spacing. Electronic submission is preferred and contributions may be sent as email attachments to pq@st-andrews.ac.uk. Most formats are acceptable, but PDF is preferred.

Alternatively, non-electronic submissions may be sent to the address below. Three copies of each essay are required and these will not be returned. All entries will be regarded as submissions for publication in The Philosophical Quarterly, and both winning and non-winning entries judged to be of sufficient quality will be published. The closing date for submissions is 1st November 2014.

All submissions should be headed ‘Human’s and Other Animals’ Prize Essay Competition (with the author’s name and address given in a covering letter, but NOT in the essay itself) and sent to:

The Journal Manager
The Philosophical Quarterly
University of St Andrews
KY16 9AR
Scotland
UK

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Philosophy events, week of 6th October

Research seminars next week (more information):

  • Patrick Todd (University of Edinburgh) at Glasgow’s Senior Seminar on Tuesday, 7th October.
  • Ophelia Deroy (University of London), “Multisensory integration, and the many unities of consciousness,” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy, Psychology, and Informatics Reading Group on Wednesday, 8th October.
  • Nick Treanor (University of Edinburgh), “The Proper Work of the Intellect,” at Stirling’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Thursday, 9th October.

Other events next week (more information):

  • Ben Sachs (University of St Andrews), “Should universities be required to set aside places for impoverished students?,” at St Andrews’ Philosophy Society on Monday, 6th October.
  • Tom Cochrane (University of Sheffield) at Edinburgh’s Philosophy Society on Thursday, 9th October.
  • Political Thought in the Early Modern Period (North Sea Seminar for Early Modern Philosophy), St Andrews, 10th – 11th October.  Speakers: Hannah Dawson (New College of the Humanities), Lena Halldenius (Lund University), Adamas Fiucci (Chieti), Johan Olsthoorn (LSE), Veronika Szanto (Eotvos Lorand University), Steph Marston (Birkbeck), Alfonso Vergaray (California University of Pennsylvania),  Martin Otero-Knott (Cambridge), Annelien De Dijn (Amsterdam), Jan Kvetina (Charles University).
  • Non-Alethic Aims of Enquiry, St Andrews, 11th – 12th October.  Speakers: Derek Ball (St Andrews), Nancy Cartwright (Durham/UCSD), Jane Friedman (NYU), Allan Hazlett (Edinburgh), Juha Saatsi (Leeds), Andreas Stokke (Umea).
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Keynote and PG speakers for SPA Annual Meeting: Driver and Peet

The Scots Philosophical Association Annual Meeting will be held this year at the University of St Andrews on 5th and 6th December.  Julia Driver (Washington University in St Louis) will be our keynote speaker, and Andrew Peet (University of St Andrews/University of Stirling) will present “Testimonial Knowledge Without Knowledge of What Is Said” in the postgraduate session.

The programme will be finalized soon; we expect the meeting to begin at 14:00 on Friday, 5th December, and conclude around 13:00 on Saturday, 6th December.  Watch this space for information on how to register for the meeting.

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Philosophy events, week of 29th September

Research seminars next week (more information):

  • Keith Allen (University of York) at Glasgow’s Senior Seminar on Tuesday, 30th September.
  • Erik Wielenberg (DePauw University), “Empirical Moral Psychology and Some Challenges to Moral Knowledge,” at St Andrews’ Philosophy Club on Wednesday, 1st October.
  • Lee Walters (University of Southampton), “The Polysemy of Fictional Names and Predicates,” at Stirling’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Thursday, 2nd October.
  • Robin Hendry (Durham University), “Essentialism in chemistry: problems and prospects,” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Debates on Thursday, 2nd October.
  • Holly Lawford-Smith (University of Sheffield) at Edinburgh’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Friday, 3rd October.
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Philosophy events, week of 22nd September

Research seminars next week (more information):

  • Patrice Haynes (Liverpool Hope), “Religious Diversity and the Feminist Subject: A Perspective from Feminist Philosophy of Religion,” at Dundee’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Wednesday, 24th September.
  • Dorothea Debus (University of York), “‘Mental Time Travel’: Remembering the Past, Imagining the Future, and the Particularity of Events,” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy, Psychology, and Informatics Reading Group on Wednesday, 24th September.
  • Amber Carpenter (University of York), “Plato on Restricting Knowledge to Make Room for Belief,” at Stirling’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Thursday, 25th September.

Other events next week (more information):

  • Alistair Isaac (University of Edinburgh) at Edinburgh’s Philosophy Society on Thursday, 25th September.
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Philosophy events, week of 15th September

Research seminars next week (more information):

  • Michael Otsuka (London School of Economics), “Personal Identity and the Significance of Becoming,” at St Andrews’ Philosophy Club on Wednesday, 17th September.
  • Michael Otsuka (London School of Economics), “How it Makes a Moral Difference that One is Worse Off than One Could Have Been,” at Stirling’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Thursday, 18th September.
  • Martin Kusch (University of Vienna), “Epistemic Relativism and Skepticism: Three Problems,” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Debates on Thursday, 18th September.
  • Vasilis Politis (Trinity College Dublin), “Definition by Example in the Hippias Major: Plato’s anticipation of, and response to, Geach,” at Edinburgh’s Visiting Speaker Seminar on Friday, 26th September.
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5th North Sea Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy

Hosted by the Institute of Intellectual History, University of St Andrews

10-11 October, 2014

THEMES FROM THE POLITICAL THOUGHT OF THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD

  • Hannah Dawson (New College of the Humanities): ‘Locke on Natural Law’
  • Lena Halldenius (Lund): ‘Wollstonecraft and Republicanism’
  • Adamas Fiucci (Chieti): ‘Natural Law in Montaigne’s Political Thought’
  • Johan Olsthoorn (LSE): ‘Rights, Justice and Injury in Grotius and Hobbes’
  • Veronika Szanto (Eotvos Lorand University): ‘Vitalism and Political Radicalism in C17th England’
  • Steph Marston (Birkbeck): ‘Spinoza as Debunker of Natural Rights Theories’
  • Alfonso Vergaray (California University of Pennsylvania): ‘Normative Uncertainty in Spinoza’s Tractatus’
  • Martin Otero-Knott (Cambridge): ‘Cocceji and the Critique of Sociality’
  • Annelien De Dijn (Amsterdam): ‘Rousseau and Republicanism’
  • Jan Kvetina (Charles University): ‘Rousseau and Poland’

For the full programme, see: http://www.intellectualhistory.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/North-Sea-programme.pdf

For further information, and to register, contact James Harris at jah15@st-and.ac.uk

This event is supported by the Scots Philosophical Association.

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A Thousand Plateaus and Philosophy

The Scottish Centre for Continental Philosophy presents a workshop on ‘A Thousand Plateaus and Philosophy’.

Taking place at the University of Dundee on 12th September 2014, the workshop aims to provide a forum for the reconsideration of Deleuze and Guattari’s work, and to develop connections between established scholars and students working in this area. It involves a series of workshops on Deleuze and Guattari’s most important work, A Thousand Plateaus. The workshop is open to all, but interested parties are asked to register with Professor James Williams in advance (see below).

There will be three workshops focusing on A Thousand Plateaus each at a centre of Deleuze scholarship. A Thousand Plateaus is composed of fifteen plateaus, and each workshop will deal with a selection of these. The workshops will allow speakers to engage with the different perspectives of other speakers through a collaborative close reading of the texts. An edited collection based on these workshops will be published by Edinburgh University Press.

See the full workshop programme here

For enquiries and to register please contact Professor James Williams (j.r.williams@dundee.ac.uk).

This workshop is funded by the Scots Philosophical Association and the Arts & Humanities Research Institute (AHRI).

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Call for Papers: Themes from Smith and Rousseau

The International Adam Smith Society and the Rousseau Association will hold a joint meeting at The University of Glasgow July 20th -22nd 2015. The conference aims to bring together scholars with an interest in the work of either or both of these thinkers with a view to stimulating discussion of their shared interests and the relationship between two prominent members of the Enlightenment.

The conference aims to explore the ideas and shared concerns of Adam Smith and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.  Proposals for papers are invited on any aspect of Smith, Rousseau, or their shared intellectual interests including (but not limited to) pitié, sympathy, commerce, freedom, nature and science. Given the aim of the conference the organisers are particularly keen to invite papers that deal with both Smith and Rousseau.

Further details can be found on the websites

http://www.adamsmithsociety.net/

http://rousseauassociation.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr/default.htm

Please submit a title and abstract to Dr Craig Smith University of Glasgow (Craig.Smith@glasgow.ac.uk).

Deadline for submissions of interest: 1st January 2015.