In his new publication, Quassim Cassam investigates the origins and purpose of conspiracy theories. Why are conspiracy theories so different from ordinary theories about conspiracies? Why are they so prevalent in our own turbulent times? What dangers do they pose for us as a society - and why we ignore them at our peril - undermining as they do our established intellectual and political frameworks. In four focused chapters, Quassim Cassam explores the reasons why conspiracy theories originate, their appeal in a world of media deluge and instant news feeds, and the role they serve as insidious forms of propaganda, harnessed to promote specific political agendas. He concludes with some pertinent observations about how we - both as a society and as individuals - should respond, if we are to create an effective means of defence to counteract them.

Published by Polity Books as part of their Think Series.

A forthcoming workshop to be held at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, between 15-17 April 2020 will focus exclusively on the philosophical work of Quassim Cassam, and in particular the nature of intellectual vices explored by him in his recent publication Vices of the Mind: From the Intellectual to the Political (2019), which investigates intellectual vices that block the way of self-knowledge, responsible belief formation or enquiry.

Philosophers who are interested in Quassim Cassam's work are invited to submit proposals for evaluation on topics relating to Vice Epistemology, Self and Self-Knowledge, Perception, Neo-Kantian Epistemology, Conspiracy Theories and the Philosophy of Terrorism. Submissions should be no longer than 15 pages (about 5000 words) and should represent a 40-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. Extended abstracts of about 2000 words will also be accepted for review. Deadline is 23 January 2020.

The workshop is sponsored by the SEFA (Spanish Society for Analytic Philosophy) and funded by the Spanish Research Agency through the research grant Intellectual Autonomy in Environments of Epistemic Dependence. See here for further information: https://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa?A2=PHILOS-L;ccb335a.1909

We are delighted to announce that Dr Benjamin Ferguson has been appointed as Assistant Professor in PPE and will join the Philosophy Department in October 2019.

Dr Ferguson was previously Assistant Professor of Ethics and PPE Co-ordinator at Vrije University, Amsterdam. Prior to that, he was a lecturer in Political Philosophy at the University of Bayreuth, where he taught courses in the Philosophy and Economics programme.

Ben Ferguson's research is focused on moral and political philosophy and, in particular, the ethics of market-based interactions such as exploitation and fraud. He has written extensively on love, moral reasons, and moral worth. He is currently three years into a four year 'Veni' grant on the topic of fair transactions, provided by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

Professor Kimberley Brownlee will deliver the prestigious Julius Stone Address 2019 at the Julius Stone Institute of Jurisprudence, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney, on Tuesday 13 August 2019. Her Address is entitled 'Punishment and Precious Emotions: A Defence of a Hope Standard for Punishment'.

The Julius Stone Address, inaugurated in 2000, is an annual lecture given by a leading international scholar of jurisprudence and held at the Julius Stone Institute of Jurisprudence, which was opened in 1999 in recognition of the achievements of Julius Stone, who was Professor of Jurisprudence and International Law at the University of Sydney between 1942 and 1972.

The Address is attended by judges, academics, leading members of the legal profession and the wider community. Further information here: https://sydney.edu.au/law/our-research/research-centres-and-institutes/julius-stone-institute-of-jurisprudence.html

We are delighted to announce that Dr Lucy Campbell has been appointed as an Assistant Professor in Philosophy. Lucy will take up her new role from 1 September 2019. Lucy is currently already with the Philosophy Department, on a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship, which she will retain.

Lucy completed her PhD at Cambridge University in 2015, and has previously held teaching positions at Oxford (2017-18) and in Edinburgh (2015-16). She also completed an Analysis Studentship, also based in Oxford (2016-17).

Lucy's research interests are in philosophy of mind and action, in epistemology and - especially - in the intersection of these areas. She is currently developing her research on action-theory, particularly in relation to Elizabeth Anscombe.