Departmental news

Professor Christoph Hoerl is interviewed, along with fellow physicists and psychologists, by Armando Iannucci in this fascinating programme which explores the mystery of why time seems to speed up as we get older, and how our perception of time passing is distorted by both our emotions and memory. How does our concept of “now” impact on our comprehension of the past and future? Listen here to discover more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000w9tg

 Professor Keith Ansell-Pearson has been appointed Honorary President of The Friedrich Nietzsche Society, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Nietzsche studies over the course of his illustrious academic career. Keith launched the Nietzsche Society of Great Britain (as the Friedrich Nietzsche Society was originally called) in April 1990, accompanied by a hugely successful inaugural conference, supported by and held at the Philosophy Department at the University of Essex. The first edition of the Journal of Nietzsche Studies subsequently appeared in Spring 1990; Keith has continued as a long-serving contributor and member of the Editorial Board. Keith has published widely, and to great acclaim, on both the life and work of Friedrich Nietzsche, and has received many accolades in recognition of his Nietzschean scholarship. Further details here: https://www.fns.org.uk/honorary-president.html

Warwick Food GRP and the Centre for Research in Philosophy, Literature and the Arts (CRPLA) seek contributions for the WARWICK DINNER PARTY - a creative project to highlight different food cultures, memories, ideas and goals, to be displayed on campus in July 2021. Deadline for brief proposals: 1 June, 5.00 pm.

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/philosophy/research/researchcentres/phillit/currentevents/dinnerparty/

Sponsored by the Warwick Food GRP and CRPLA.

Professor Quassim Cassam features in a newly revised online article, The Best Philosophy Books for Beginners, which has been produced by www.thereadinglists.com – a website dedicated to encouraging people worldwide to read more books. The list of recommended Philosophy titles has been updated and now includes more book nominations selected by an extended panel of philosophy experts. Quassim Cassam’s contribution is on Mortal Questions by Thomas Nagel. The article can be found here: https://www.thereadinglists.com/best-philosophy-books-for-beginners/ 

Professor Fabienne Peter has been invited to give the prestigious Wittgenstein Lecture Series for 2021 (28 June – 2 July) at the University of Bayreuth. Professor Peter will explore aspects of The Grounds of Political Legitimacy in a series of five lectures. The Wittgenstein Lectures were inaugurated in 1987. Every year, an internationally recognised philosopher is invited to present a week of lectures and colloquia. All lectures are open to the public. Further details here: https://www.phil.uni-bayreuth.de/en/events/wittgenstein/index.html.

Professor Quassim Cassam featured as a Guest Interviewee on a recent edition of the BBC Radio Four programme The Moral Maze, where he was questioned by panel members chaired by Michael Buerk. This compelling, and often combative debate explored the moral issues behind the subject of ‘Moral Certainty in a Pandemic’. Listen here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000tcd0

This new book by Dr David James eloquently explores the connections between different types of necessity: practical, conceptual, normative and historical. Additionally, it contrasts relevant features of the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes (1558-1679) with a philosophical tradition that extends from Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) to Karl Marx (1818-1883). In his text, David James demonstrates the need to understand the question of freedom with recourse to the concept of practical necessity.

We are delighted to announce that the 3rd Warwick Continental Philosophy Conference will take place on 26-27 March 2021, and will be an online event. The theme will be ‘Continental Philosophy and Its Histories’, and it will explore how Continental Philosophy engages with the ‘Thinkers’ that belong to its history: what is it to ‘read’ Plato, Spinoza, Kant, or Nietzsche in Continental Philosophy? How important is the canon, and what is its methodological and philosophical significance? Should we keep putting forward various creative (mis)readings of past philosophers or, as Husserl suggested early on, is it better to get rid of the past and proceed afresh with a new method? Key Speakers include Professor Stella Sandford (Kingston University), Dr Mogens Laerke (CNRS) and Dr Francey Russell (Columbia University).

 To this end, the Warwick Continental Philosophy Conference Organising Committee invites papers in Continental or European Philosophy focusing on Continental Philosophy and its Histories, broadly understood. The deadline for Abstract submissions is 22 January 2021. For further details about the conference and guidelines for Abstract Submissions, see here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/philosophy/research/activities/postkantian/events/wcpc

 This conference is made possible by generous funding provided by the University of Warwick Philosophy Department and British Society for the History of Philosophy. It is an annual event within The Centre for Research in Post-Kantian European Philosophy (University of Warwick).

We are pleased to announce that Professor Guy Longworth has been appointed Head of the Department of Philosophy, and succeeds Professor Fabienne Peter in the role from January 2021.

Guy’s main research interests concern language, mind, knowledge, and understanding, and also some aspects of the history of philosophy.

Guy is a member of the Executive Committee of The Aristotelian Society, as well as serving as Editor of the Society’s Proceedings.

The Department of Philosophy has significant representation in the new Social Sciences Fellowships webpages, now officially launched by Research and Impact Services. The new webpages profile and celebrate recently-awarded Fellowships across all three Faculties of Social Sciences, Arts and Medicine, Engineering and Science. See here: https://warwick.ac.uk/research/supporting-talent/fellowships

The new web content showcases, and gives prominence to Fellows from across the Academy, and aligns with the ‘Supporting Talent’ element of the University’s Research Strategy. The comprehensive pre-existing list of all Fellowships/Prizes since 2015 has also been updated as part of this initiative.