ThePostgraduate Work In Progress (WIP) seminar provides all Philosophy graduates a platform to present and discuss their current work.
It is an informal session, organised and led by graduates. All are welcome, whether MA, MPhil, PhD, faculty, or visitors.
Attendance optional but recommended. A rowdy (but good-natured) social at the pub reliably follows each seminar.
How does it work?
Each week, a graduate will present a paper they are working on.This could be an assessed essay (for MAs), a supervision essay (for MPhils), or a thesis chapter (for PhDs).
The presentation lasts approx. 30 minutes, followed by an approx. 30-minute open discussion and Q&A.
No previous knowledge or reading is necessary.
When is it?
The WIP takes place every Thursday from 5pm to 6:15pm, room S2.77. You can also attend it online via Teams.
Title and abstract for each talk plus a Teams link is emailed to everyone on a Monday.
How do I present?
Email the organisers,Tiago Rodrigues and/or Lucas Menezes.
Should I present? ("I have nothing to present, etc. etc.")
All graduates should aim to present at least once per year.
You are encouraged to sign up to present, commit to the date, and then use that date as a deadline to work towards.
Your work does not need to be, and, in fact, should not be, watertight or an extremely polished piece (at all). The whole point is for you to present in-progress work (hence, WIP) and hear suggestions/comments from your colleagues, which you can use to improve your work. It can be an early draft or a substantial set of notes. You are encouraged to share work at all stages of the writing process.
Guidance for Presenters
You may present anything (reasonable), e.g. an entire paper, an assessed essay, a chapter of a thesis, an outline of the scope of a project, etc. There's no strict minimum or maximum limit on length.
Regarding length, we highly recommend 3,000 to 5,000 words. (Since you should be able to present it within 30 minutes.)
Please email your title and abstract to the WIP organisers by the end of Sunday before your presentation. E.g. If you're presenting in week 5, your deadline will be the end of Sunday week 4.
The whole point is to use the WIP to gather feedback/suggestions on how to improve your work. Therefore, your work doesn't need to be a watertight or polished piece (at all) but may be a draft or substantial set of notes. You are welcome to share work at all stages of the writing process.
This is an invaluable opportunity for graduates to improve their work by receiving peer-review feedback and tips. The environment is friendly, supportive, and unassessed, thereby making it an excellent opportunity for students to defend their work, brainstorm objections, and (above all) socialise with other PGs and faculty.
Current Schedule for Term 2 (2024/25)
A list of seminars occurring in the current academic term can be found below:
All WIPs take place on the Thursday of the specified week, at 5pm, room S2.77.
Week 1 - 09th January - Chris Hall (PhD) - 'Cooperation and Joint Action in Oceanic Dolphin'
Week 2 -16th January - Simon Courtenage (PhD) - 'Does Nietzsche Reject the Self?'
Week 3 - 23rd January - Ben Long (MPhil) - 'Acceptance or Suspension? A Puzzle for Hinge Epistemology'
Week 4 - 30th January - Renato Raia (PhD) - 'Moral Cognition Beyond the Reason/Emotion Dichotomy'
Week 5 - 6th February - Alicia Klemm Silva (MPhil) - 'Chomsky's Poverty Of Stimulus'
Week 6 - 13th February - NO WIP DUE TO READING WEEK Week 7 - 20th February - Keyu Qiu (MPhil) - 'Beyond Sublimation and Repression: A Glimpse into the Great Health'
Week 8 - 27th February - Emma Clinton (MPhil) - 'How Should Cases of Deception Under Unjust Circumstances Guide Our Understanding of the Scope of Consent?'
Week 9 - 6th March - NO WIP DUE TO SPRING BREAK EVENT Week 10 - 13th March - Tiago Rodrigues (MPhil) - 'Can Non-Parents Know the Value of Parenthood Before Having a Child?'
