PUBLIC
PHILOSOPHY
WEEK 2025

Why do we punish? What do we expect to accomplish when we do? Join us in a discussion about the philosophical and sociological bases for responding to crime and wrongdoing.

Join us for an evening of philosophical discussion on the ethical dilemmas presented in the TV show, Survivor! We will be exploring the blurred lines between deception, strategy, alliance-building, and manipulation with examples such as Johnny Fairplay’s infamous “dead Grandma” lie and Jeff Varner’s outing of Zeke Smith at tribal council. We will also feature some other specific topics and examples from seasons 7 (Pearl Islands), 8 (All-Stars), 20 (Heroes vs. Villains), 22 (Redemption Island), 23 (South Pacific), 26 (Caramoan), 27 (Blood vs. Water), 28 (Cagayan), 33 (Millennials vs. Gen X), and 34 (Game Changers), for those who might want to review some of Survivor's most iconic moments. Whether you're a seasoned fan of the show or just beginning your Survivor journey, you won’t want to miss this!

So: you may have noticed that we're tip-toeing up on creating artificial intelligence — real AI, the sci-fi stuff — and as a consequence, some classic, difficult philosophical questions about minds and morals have taken on a touch of urgency. What counts as a mind, anyway? How could we get AI that is honest, or creative, or kind? Come discuss: how today's AI systems get built (and what us humanities majors can contribute); how AI's "orthogonality thesis" is Hume's "is-ought problem" back for revenge; how consciousness remains very confusing (but you might not need it to be smart!); and more. Questions about how to navigate safely into an AI-filled world have been called "philosophy with a deadline" — let's get cooking.

Miranda Fricker introduces two forms of injustice that are specifically about knowledge in her influential book Epistemic Injustice Power & the Ethics of Knowing. We will discuss these forms of injustice, the significance of this work in epistemology, and talk about how these concepts might be helpful in our own lives. All are welcome to come and discuss this work.

The talk will discuss how water as a metaphor in Dao De Jing points to a kind of soft, passive, non-aggressive power.

How do we think about time? We talk about buying it, biding it, wasting it. We measure it in scientific, mathematical units, like seconds, minutes, and hours, but also in socially constructed units, like pay, meetings, and even distance. We add time to our years in Leap Years and subtract hours to accommodate farming and shopping in Daylight Savings. We build calendars. How we make time tells us a lot about what we value and how we value it. Let’s talk about how making time is a political act, one that cannot be neutral, and how making time can be a space of social justice—especially when we talk about religious inclusion.

Restorative Justice offers a unique alternative to our current criminal legal system that challenges the notion of punishment as equivalent to accountability. Some of those who practice RJ in Vermont, through state-funded dollars from primary stakeholders within the criminal legal system, recognize that our practices can reflect and replicate, to a lesser degree, many of the injustices or biases of the criminal legal system with regard to social class, race, and gender identity. Some practitioners have adopted the term “colonized restorative justice” to reference this status. We invite you to join us to reflect on Vermont’s infrastructure of centers that are trying to reform a system from within the system.

Join us for pizza, drinks, and discussion about the Community News Service led by a panel of alumni that works in journalism or a related field.