UA Philosophy Today Lecture Series Begins with Discussion of ‘Philosophy of Mind’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Terry Horgan, a professor of philosophy at the University of Arizona, will speak Sept. 22 at The University of Alabama on “Mind and Brain: Philosophy of Mind in the 21^st Century” at 7:30 p.m. in room 205 of Smith Hall on the UA campus.

The talk begins UA’s 2009-2010 Philosophy Today lecture series, which features four experts discussing controversial and provocative philosophical topics.

Horgan’s lecture will connect principal themes of recent work in philosophy of mind with findings of neuroscience.

“What is the human mind? Is the mind simply the brain? Are feelings of love nothing more than brain states? These are among the questions of interest to today’s philosophers of mind,” said Dr. H. Scott Hestevold, chairman of UA’s department of philosophy and coordinator of the lecture series. “I’m confident that Professor Horgan will discuss fascinating findings of contemporary neuroscience and how these findings bear on the philosophical issues involving the nature of mind.”

Horgan received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Stanford University and has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Michigan. His research is in the areas of metaphysics, epistemology, mind and metaethics.

Horgan has co-authored two books; “Connectionism and the Philosophy of Psychology,” with John Tienson; and “Austere Realism: Contextual Semantics Meets Minimal Ontology,” with Matjaž Potrč. He has published more than 150 articles in a wide-range of philosophy journals.

He also has taught at the University of Memphis, Memphis State University, University of Houston, Illinois State University, University of Michigan and DePauw University.

Other speakers in the 2009-2010 Philosophy Today series are:

Tuesday, Nov. 17
Amie Thomasson, philosophy professor at the University of Miami

“Do Tables and Chairs Really Exist?”

7:30 p.m. in Smith Hall room 205

Thursday, March 4, 2010
Keith Parsons, philosophy professor at the University of Houston-Clear Lake

“Charles Darwin, Hammer of the Creationists”

7:30 p.m. in Smith Hall room 205

Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Thomas Hurka, philosophy professor at the University of Toronto

“Weighing Lives in War: When is Collateral Damage Excessive?”

7:30 p.m. in Smith Hall room 205

Hestevold said the nontechnical lectures are geared toward a general audience and should be of interest to those in any profession or academic discipline.  The lectures are free and open to the public.

“Last year, topics ranged from drug legalization to human cloning,” he said. “This year’s topics include contemporary mind and brain research, Darwin on creationism, and moral problems involving war and collateral damage.”

This year’s Philosophy Today speakers also will conduct seminars for the advanced philosophy students, Hestevold said.

The series is sponsored by UA’s College of Arts and Sciences; the department of philosophy; a grant from Louis W. Perry of La Jolla, Calif.; and other alumni and friends of the department.

UA’s department of philosophy is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.