From glenn.rj.carruthers at gmail.com Mon Sep 25 09:22:47 2017 From: glenn.rj.carruthers at gmail.com (Glenn Carruthers) Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2017 09:22:47 +1000 Subject: [SydPhil] ASCS last CfA Message-ID: Good morning everyone just a quick reminder for those who are interested in presenting at the Australasian Society for Cognitive Science conference that it would be good to get abstracts in this week: http://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/ascs2017/? Cognition on the Coast 2017 The ASCS along with the Charles Sturt University School of Psychology will host the conference at the brand new Port Macquarie (yes we have an airport, along with our beaches and rainforest) campus of Charles Sturt University on the 7th and 8th of December 2017. Max Coltheart (Macquarie) will keynote the event. This event will include a general meeting of the society to endorse a new constitution and elect a committee consisting of a president, general secretary, treasurer, student representative and communications officer. We will also be seeking expressions of interest from those wanting to host the next conference in 2019. Contributors are invited to submit abstracts for talk and poster presentations. We will also consider proposals for panels that take an interdisciplinary perspective on any issue in cognitive science. -- ========== Glenn Carruthers School of Psychology Charles Sturt University glenn.rj.carruthers at gmail.com gcarruthers at csu.edu.au 'Till all are one -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From arts.cave at mq.edu.au Mon Sep 25 10:30:19 2017 From: arts.cave at mq.edu.au (Centre for Agency, Values, and Ethics) Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2017 00:30:19 +0000 Subject: [SydPhil] Virtual Conference: Resisting Borders, 9 - 11 October Message-ID: Hi all, This conference may be of interest to you. For more information, please contact info at resistingborders.com. Resisting Borders: A Virtual Conference on Refugee & Migrant Health, Mobility, Human Rights, & Responsibilities (October 9-11, 2017) Refugees and many migrants suffer from limits on their abilities to move around the world, even in pressing or urgent circumstances. They are often forced to leave their homes for reasons beyond their control, including war and civil unrest, political and religious persecution, economics, or famine and other natural or man-made disasters. Once displaced, whether internally or externally, they face pressing needs for food, water, shelter, and health care. Local governments, international agencies and non-governmental organizations often struggle with providing for their needs, particularly in resource-poor regions of the world. Recent socio-political changes in the United States, Western Europe and elsewhere have placed additional restrictions on the rights of migrants and refugees. In solidarity with these refugees and migrants, we are hosting a no-travel virtual conference to explore the ethical, legal, philosophical, and social issues associated with refugee and migrant health in a world of economic, geopolitical, and psychological borders. Location: Online (no travel) Cost: Free For registration and other information: www.resistingborders.com Macquarie University Research Centre for Agency, Values and Ethics (CAVE) Department of Philosophy Macquarie University Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia CAVE website: mq.edu.au/cave www.facebook.com/MQCAVE -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From m.valaris at unsw.edu.au Mon Sep 25 16:39:40 2017 From: m.valaris at unsw.edu.au (Markos Valaris) Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2017 06:39:40 +0000 Subject: [SydPhil] Dan Halliday at UNSW, Tuesday 3 October Message-ID: Everyone is invited to attend a presentation by Daniel Halliday (University of Melbourne) at the Philosophy Seminar at UNSW. Title: Two Sides of Positional Goods Abstract: Positional goods typically serve to ration access to some distinct good whose supply cannot easily be increased. A standard example is the rationing of educational credentials as a means of allocating competitive advantage in the labor market. Political philosophy tends to recognize that positional goods gain their instrumental value from certain facts about how relevant scarce goods are made accessible. Our contention is that the significance of this fact has been insufficiently explored, particularly with respect to education. In general, the focus of philosophers has been somewhat one sided: Much has been said about the role of children and their parents where educational competition is concerned, with little said about the role of players on the ?other side?, principally employers and educational institutions. Our aim in this paper is to develop a more sophisticated understanding of positional competition that is more balanced with respect to the role of players on both sides. We use the analysis developed to evaluate some influential claims about justice in the distribution of educational resources. Date and Time: MB 209, 2:30-4:00 Venue: UNSW Kensington Campus, MB310 Markos Valaris Senior Lecturer in Philosophy Associate Editor, Australasian Journal of Philosophy University of New South Wales Phone: +(61) 2 9385 2760 (office) Personal webpage: markosvalaris.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From m.valaris at unsw.edu.au Wed Sep 27 12:42:15 2017 From: m.valaris at unsw.edu.au (Markos Valaris) Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2017 02:42:15 +0000 Subject: [SydPhil] Update: Daniel Halliday (U. of Melbourne) at UNSW Message-ID: This is an updated invite to Daniel Halliday's (University of Melbourne) presentation at UNSW. The earlier invitation did not mention that this is a joint event by the Practical Justice Initiative and the Philosophy group at UNSW. Title: Two Sides of Positional Goods Abstract: Positional goods typically serve to ration access to some distinct good whose supply cannot easily be increased. A standard example is the rationing of educational credentials as a means of allocating competitive advantage in the labor market. Political philosophy tends to recognize that positional goods gain their instrumental value from certain facts about how relevant scarce goods are made accessible. Our contention is that the significance of this fact has been insufficiently explored, particularly with respect to education. In general, the focus of philosophers has been somewhat one sided: Much has been said about the role of children and their parents where educational competition is concerned, with little said about the role of players on the ?other side?, principally employers and educational institutions. Our aim in this paper is to develop a more sophisticated understanding of positional competition that is more balanced with respect to the role of players on both sides. We use the analysis developed to evaluate some influential claims about justice in the distribution of educational resources. Date and Time: MB 209, 2:30-4:00 Venue: UNSW Kensington Campus, MB310 Markos Valaris Senior Lecturer in Philosophy Associate Editor, Australasian Journal of Philosophy University of New South Wales Phone: +(61) 2 9385 2760 (office) Personal webpage: markosvalaris.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From arts.cave at mq.edu.au Wed Sep 27 15:19:28 2017 From: arts.cave at mq.edu.au (Centre for Agency, Values, and Ethics) Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2017 05:19:28 +0000 Subject: [SydPhil] CAVE/Sydney Workshop Final CFR: "New Directions on the Emergence and Maintenance of Individuality, " 3 - 4 Oct, Macquarie Message-ID: Hi all, You are invited to a jointly hosted workshop by Macquarie University Research Centre for Agency, Values, and Ethics (CAVE), and University of Sydney Centre for the Foundations of Science, "New Directions on the Emergence and Maintenance of Individuality" on 3 - 4 October 2017. Date: 3 - 4 October 2017 Time: 09.00 - 17.30 Venue: E6B 149, Macquarie University (O23 on campus map) All welcome, but please register with Pierrick for catering purposes: pierrick.bourrat at mq.edu.au. Please let Pierrick know by tomorrow (Thursday) noon, so that we can confirm catering. "New Directions on the Emergence and Maintenance of Individuality" Since the publication of the Major Transitions in Evolution by Maynard Smith and Szathm?ry in the mid 90s, the topic of the emergence of individuality in evolution has gained attention. Current evolutionary theory does not permit to account how and why lower-level individuals, such as cells, band together and form higher-level individuals, such as multicellular organisms. This interdisciplinary workshop will explore new directions in this area. Program: TUESDAY 09.00 ? 09.30: Silvia De Monte, ?Populations of Populations: How Structure Affects the Evolution of Function" (videoconference) 09.30 ? 10.30: Arvid ?gren, ?Genomic Conflicts and the Maintenance of Individuality? 10.30 ? 11.00: Coffee break 11.00 ? 12.00: Maureen O?Malley, ?Thinking As One: Humans, Microbiota, and Mind? 12.00 ? 13.30: Lunch 13.30 ? 14.00: Maria Rebolleda-Gomez, ?Relational Individualities: The Importance of Ecological Dynamics on the Evolution of Individuality? (videoconference) 14.00 ? 15.00: Andrew Holmes, ?The Contrasting Roles of Microbes in Disease: Individuality in Pathogens and Emergent Disease in Holobionts? 15.00 ? 16.00: Michael Gillings, ?Information, Replication and Individuality? 16.00 ? 16.30: Coffee break 16.30 ? 17.30: Paul Griffiths, Comment followed by discussion WEDNESDAY 09.00 ? 09.30: Ellen Clarke, ?Passing It On: the Evolution of Higher-Level Inheritance During ETIs? (videoconference) 09.30 ? 10.30: Tanya Latty, ?There's No 'I' in Team: Understanding Individuality in Collective Systems? 10.30 ? 11.00: Coffee break 11.00 ? 12.00: Paul Rainey, ?Ecological Scaffolding and the Evolution of Individuality? 12.00 ? 13.99: Andrew Black, ?Mechanistic Models of Multi-Level Darwinian Populations? 13.00 ? 14.30: Lunch 14.30 ? 15.30: Pierrick Bourrat, ?Revisiting the Criteria for Units of Selection? 15.30 ? 16.00: Coffee break 16.00 ? 17.00: Peter Godfrey-Smith, Comment followed by discussion All welcome! Contact Pierrick: pierrick.bourrat at mq.edu.au Macquarie University Research Centre for Agency, Values and Ethics (CAVE) Department of Philosophy Macquarie University Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia CAVE website: mq.edu.au/cave www.facebook.com/MQCAVE -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From calendar-notification at google.com Thu Sep 28 11:59:58 2017 From: calendar-notification at google.com (Google Calendar) Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2017 01:59:58 +0000 Subject: [SydPhil] Notification: Albert Atkin @ Wed 4 Oct 2017 13:00 - 14:00 (Seminars) Message-ID: <001a114ab338f25233055a3643b2@google.com> This is a notification for: Title: Albert Atkin When: Wed 4 Oct 2017 13:00 ? 14:00 Eastern Time - Melbourne, Sydney Where: Muniment Room, Sydney Uni Calendar: Seminars Who: * Sam Shpall- creator Event details: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/Ov16BlfzaEnNH2?domain=google.com Invitation from Google Calendar: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/9OVQB5UM2pgXiR?domain=google.com You are receiving this email at the account sydphil at arts.usyd.edu.au because you are subscribed for notifications on calendar Seminars. To stop receiving these emails, please log in to https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/9OVQB5UM2pgXiR?domain=google.com and change your notification settings for this calendar. Forwarding this invitation could allow any recipient to modify your RSVP response. Learn more at https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/lqmYBbSXbonZI2?domain=support.google.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From calendar-notification at google.com Fri Sep 29 14:00:15 2017 From: calendar-notification at google.com (Google Calendar) Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2017 04:00:15 +0000 Subject: [SydPhil] Notification: Dominic Dimech @ Thu 5 Oct 2017 15:00 - 16:30 (Current Projects) Message-ID: <001a1142b584f87486055a4c0fa8@google.com> This is a notification for: Title: Dominic Dimech Title: Hume's 'Residual' Scepticism about Induction Abstract: Hume consciously reflects on the nature of scepticism in Treatise 1.4.7 (?Conclusion of this Book?) and Section 12 of his first Enquiry (?Of the Academical or Sceptical Philosophy?). I argue that we should read Hume as espousing a ?residual? form of scepticism in these sections. This means that Hume?s final, moderate sceptical position is a product of entertaining extreme sceptical worries but finding that they are impermanent. Recognition of this is important in its own right, as T 1.4.7 and EHU 12 are puzzling and central texts. But I also argue that this residual scepticism is informative for the debate over reading Hume on induction specifically. It turns out that the now popular approach of reading Hume as not an inductive sceptic is going to struggle accounting for Hume?s residual scepticism, because it cannot explain the relationship between his extreme doubts and his final position. When: Thu 5 Oct 2017 15:00 ? 16:30 Eastern Time - Melbourne, Sydney Where: The Muniment Room, University of Sydney Calendar: Current Projects Who: * Kristie Miller- creator Event details: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/6eKdBDsglbKKUb?domain=google.com Invitation from Google Calendar: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/NX12BDU2EZ11SY?domain=google.com You are receiving this email at the account sydphil at arts.usyd.edu.au because you are subscribed for notifications on calendar Current Projects. To stop receiving these emails, please log in to https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/NX12BDU2EZ11SY?domain=google.com and change your notification settings for this calendar. Forwarding this invitation could allow any recipient to modify your RSVP response. Learn more at https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/bZ89BmuWdL11I2?domain=support.google.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From michael.david.kirchhoff at gmail.com Sat Sep 30 12:32:06 2017 From: michael.david.kirchhoff at gmail.com (michael kirchhoff) Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2017 12:32:06 +1000 Subject: [SydPhil] UOW Philosophy Research Presents (Dr. Nik Alksnis, La Trobe) Message-ID: *UOW Philosophy Research Presents:* *Hegel, Kepler, and the Sciences of Affordances* Speaker: Dr. Nik Alksnis (La Trobe) Date: 04 October 2017 Time: 15.30-16.45 Venue: 19.2072 (Research Hub) Abstract: In his (2009) anti-computationalist theory of mind, Chemero invokes the idea of Hegelian explanation: drawing conclusions from irrelevant, *a priori*, information to justify an empirical claim. Just as Hegel used Plato?s ideas of perfection to deduce the number of planets in the solar system, for Chemero, the computationalists, and similar, are in danger of doing the same: using irrelevant abstract ideas to justify empirical facts about the mind and intelligence. A similar appeal to historical figures can be found by Chemero in partnership with Raja and Biener (2017). Here the idea is that the mechanistic philosophies of Descartes, Kepler, and Newton are better fitted to the ecological approach of J.J. Gibson, then to the comptuationalism of Turing (1953) and later Fodor (1975, 2008). However, Chemero's analysis seems to leave little room for the abstract cognitive object he favours, namely, the affordance (Gibson 1977, 1979). By adapting Fodor?s *explicitness principle* (Fodor 1987) I show the difficulties in including the theory of affordances as an explanatory part of the cognitive story. I argue that we can combine Chemero and Fodor?s critiques, but that in doing so, there seems to be little room for either the concept of mental representations, as supported by Fodor, or affordances, as favoured by Chemero. Aimed at staff and postgraduates, but open to all. *Best wishes,* *Dr. Michael D. Kirchhoff * Lecturer in Philosophy School of Humanities and Social Enquiry Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts University of Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From adam.hochman at mq.edu.au Sat Sep 30 14:30:45 2017 From: adam.hochman at mq.edu.au (Adam Hochman) Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2017 04:30:45 +0000 Subject: [SydPhil] MQ Philosophy Seminar on Tuesday the 3rd of October in Room 2.320, Hearing Hub: Luke Barnes (Usyd) Message-ID: The Fine-Tuning of the Universe for Life Luke Barnes (Usyd) Date: Tuesday, 3rd of October Time: 13:00 - 14:00 Venue: Room 2.320, Hearing Hub* All welcome *Note the different venue Abstract: In physics and cosmology, scientists often talk about a theory being "fine-tuned" if it requires a suspiciously precise, ad hoc assumptions to explain some data. Of particular interest is the fine-tuning of the universe for life, which suggests that our universe's ability to create physical life forms is improbable and in need of explanation by, perhaps, a multiverse. After introducing this idea in the scientific literature, I will consider a philosophical puzzle: how can we understand fine-tuning within a broader picture of the philosophy of science? In particular, does it provide evidence of a "multiverse" of other, different universes? Contact: Adam Hochman (adam.hochman at mq.edu.au) or Mike Olson (michael.olson at mq.edu.au) A google calendar with details of other events in this series is available for viewing and subscription by following this link: goo.gl/3Iu7hk --- Adam Hochman Lecturer in Philosophy & Macquarie University Research Fellow Department of Philosophy | W6A, Room 733 Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia Staff Profile | http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/faculties_and_departments/faculty_of_arts/department_of_philosophy/staff/adam_hochman/ Academia.edu Page | https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/M41aBLUVOpvKFr?domain=mq.academia.edu Philpapers Page | https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/Ov16BlfzK5YDf4?domain=philpapers.org Personal Website | adamhochman.com [Macquarie University] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 4605 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From 16992708 at student.westernsydney.edu.au Sat Sep 30 16:52:35 2017 From: 16992708 at student.westernsydney.edu.au (Jacinta Sassine) Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2017 06:52:35 +0000 Subject: [SydPhil] Rick Benitez and Dennis Schmidt, Oct 4 -5, Western Sydney U Message-ID: This is an invitation to the Philosophy and the Good Postgraduate Conference organised by the Philosophy at Western Student Group at Western Sydney University. Date: 4th ? 5th October, 2017 Time: 1 ? 6pm (both days) Location: Western Sydney University, Bankstown Campus. Room BA.2.G.01 (Wednesday, 4th October) and Room BA.3.G.55 (Thursday, 5th October) Keynote presentations will be given by Professor Rick Benitez (University of Sydney) and Professor Dennis J. Schmidt (Western Sydney University). ---- Professor Rick Benitez Title: Boy! What Boy? (A Plea for Meno?s Slave) Abstract: This paper corrects the common misconception that Meno's slave (in Plato's dialogue of that name) is a boy. The first part of the paper shows how long-standing and widespread that misconception is. The description of Meno's slave as a "slave-boy" goes back at least to Benjamin Jowett, and the phrase is still commonly seen today in books and journal articles in philosophy and classics generally, even in presses and journals with the highest reputation. The paper then shows that the Greek term pais, often translated as "boy", is when addressed to slaves used to indicate their condition, not their age. When the text of the Meno is examined carefully, it is clear that there is no evidence that Meno's slave is a boy. In fact, it is clear that the expression "boy" is used in relation to his condition, not in relation to his age. It thus demeans us to refer to Meno's slave as a "slave-boy" or just "boy", since it either displays our ignorance about the use of the term pais or, worse, makes us complicit in using a term of condescension. The paper concludes by suggesting that the proposed correction is philosophically significant, since it opens an investigation into Plato's depiction of slaves that is otherwise blocked by supposing the slave to be a boy. Date & Time: Wednesday, 4th October, 4:30 ? 6pm Venue: Western Sydney University, Bankstown Campus, Room BA.2.G.01 ---- Professor Dennis J. Schmidt Title: On the Image of the Good: The Starry Sky and the Moral Law Abstract: There are many good reasons we find it difficult even to begin to speak of ?the good? today. This idea, which Plato called ?the highest idea? and which was so decisive in the formation of Western philosophy, has undergone so many incarnations over the millennia and has been enlisted in the name of so many ends that it seems to be an empty notion and almost a matter of philosophical kitsch. And yet, one abandons this idea only reluctantly since its promises cannot be ignored. To this end, the purpose of this paper is to take another look at the idea of the good. More precisely, the intention is not so much to examine the conceptual arguments about the idea of the good, but to think about one image, one view we have, that has long been associated with the idea of the good: the starry sky. We find the kinship between the image of the starry sky in such diverse figures as Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, Dante, and Kant ? among others. All of these figures take the look to the stars as somehow akin to the self-presentation of the idea of the good. This paper will make references to how this is the case in these figures, but ? more importantly ? the effort will be made to ask what it might mean to think this kinship of the starry sky and the moral law today. Date & Time: Thursday, 5th October, 4:30 ? 6pm Venue: Western Sydney University, Bankstown Campus, Room BA.3.G.55 ---- Entry is free. For all inquiries, please contact Jacinta Sassine on 16992708 at student.westernsydney.edu.au. Kind Regards, Jacinta Sassine PhD candidate at Western Sydney University President of Philosophy at Western Student Club -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: