Location: Edgecliffe G03 Title: Karl Marx and the Actualization of Philosophy Abstract: Marx’s Eleventh Thesis on Feuerbach famously states that ‘The philosophers have thus far merely interpreted the world; the point is to change it.’ In this talk, I begin to clear away some obstacles that stand in the way of an appreciation of the ... Read more
Location: Edgecliffe G03 Title: “On Seeking Objective Grounds for Moral Evaluation” Abstract: The paper argues that to do justice to questions of objectivity that arise within and about moral discourse, we must take into account that this discourse is embedded within a somewhat conventionally regimented practice that comprises attempts to guide attitude and action by ... Read more
Location: Teams (online only) Title: Disharmony as a Political Vice Abstract: In this presentation, I examine two important concepts, those of harmony and disharmony by drawing on some thoughts including in three areas of African philosophical ideas and understanding. While I take harmony as virtuous or at least valuable or desirable, I take disharmony as ... Read more
Location: Teams (online only) Title: Epistemic Dynamics Abstract: Epistemic agents are finite and fallible. Our range is limited and some of what we accept is, no doubt, flawed. To achieve our epistemic and practical objectives, we devise methods and practices that foster correction, refinement, and expansion of our current epistemic commitments. Traditional epistemology maintains that epistemic ... Read more
Location: Edgecliffe G03 Title: "The Mind that Matters: Degrees of Sentience and Moral Status". Abstract: It is often argued that the capacity for conscious experience is necessary for a creature to morally matter for its own sake and thus have moral status. Entities that lack the capacity for consciousness, such as chairs, philosophical zombies, or anencephalic infants, ... Read more
Location: Edgecliffe G03 Title: Values as Vectors Abstract: Often, two things seem tied in value, though slightly improving one would not break the tie. How can we model such 'insensitivity to sweetening'? A leading answer is that overall values, rather than being like precise numbers, must be imprecise, giving rise to a special nontransitive value ... Read more
5th Annual CEPPA Graduate Conference 30-31 May, 2023, at the University of St Andrews The Centre for Ethics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs (CEPPA) is proud to host the 5th Annual CEPPA Graduate Conference at the University of St Andrews (UCO: School V). The event will be held in-person with the option for spectators to join online. Registration will open once ... Read more
Location: Edgecliffe G03 Title: QUASI-REALISM FOR REALISTS Abstract: Reductive realists think that normative properties are identical to descriptive properties. But they are often charged with being relativists: it is often argued that their view implies that when two people make conflicting normative judgements, these judgements can both be true. I will argue that reductive realists ... Read more
Location: Edgecliffe G03 Title: “Superspreading the Word”. Abstract: Quasi-realists are expressivists who say much of what realists say. To avoid making their view indistinguishable from realism, however, they usually stop short of saying everything realists say. Many realists therefore think that something important is missing from quasi-realism. I will argue that quasi-realists can undermine this ... Read more
Location: Edgecliffe G03 Title: Humorlessness and Moral Recognition Abstract: We’re often quick to point fingers at people who fail to find humor in themselves. And our accusations have a moral tinge: we decry people for being sanctimonious buzzkills, and command them to ‘get over themselves’. But are these moralized reactions justified? And what, if anything, ... Read more