UA Philosophy Today Lecture Series Considers ‘Do Tables and Chairs Really Exist?’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Amie Thomasson, a professor of philosophy at the University of Miami, will speak Nov. 17 at The University of Alabama on “Do Tables and Chairs Really Exist?” at 7:30 p.m. in room 205 of Smith Hall.

The presentation is the second in UA’s 2009-2010 Philosophy Today lecture series, which features four experts discussing controversial and provocative philosophical topics.

“Over the last few decades, a relatively new philosophical controversy has arisen: Do tables and chairs, sticks and stones, really exist?” Thomasson said. “Although questioning the existence of ordinary objects may seem crazy to outsiders, understanding how this controversy could arise and what’s at stake in resolving it can reveal a lot about what’s going on in contemporary metaphysics.”

Thomasson received both her graduate and doctorate degrees in philosophy from the University of California, Irvine. At the University of Miami, she also is the Parodi Senior Scholar in Aesthetics. Thomasson specializes in metaphysics, philosophy of mind, phenomenology and philosophy of art. She is working on problems regarding modality, existence questions and the methods of metaphysics.

In 2007, Thomasson published “Ordinary Objects.” She also is the author of “Fiction and Metaphysics,” and co-editor of “Phenomenology and Philosophy of Mind.”

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

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.