Autumn 2010

From the Chair

As chair of the Department of Philosophy for 14 years, there have been many moments when I really appreciate my situation. But I have not written often enough about the more subtle and perhaps subjective aspects of the job, like the joy of working with the department's dedicated staff, collegial faculty, talented students, and generous alumni.
Read more from Kenneth Clatterbaugh.

"Doing" Philosophy with Children

The Northwest Center for Philosophy for Children introduces philosophy into the lives of young people by “doing” philosophy in K-12 classrooms and by teaching adults ways to facilitate dialogs with young people. This year, the Center held a summer workshop for teachers and graduate students that explored how introducing philosophy into the classroom can enrich student learning.
Read more.

Beyond Respect for Autonomy

Recent public debates on issues such as physician assisted suicide and control over genetic samples highlight the importance of autonomy in American medicine. Yet respect for autonomy has its limits, and in the realm of medicine, these limits are in need of some careful examination. Read more.

"New" Savery, New Art

Thanks to alumnus Jim Riswold, '83, our “new” home in Savery Hall just got better. Jim, whose work is in such permanent collections as the Seattle Art Museum and Portland Art Museum, generously donated several pieces from his Philosophy is Not Funny series to the Philosophy Department . Come by the department's main office to see works that include It’s Kant Time; Supernietzsche; Hegel gives Schopenhauer a Headache; KGL Kierkegaard; Murakami Gives Spinoza Flowers, and Red Rover, Red Rover Send an Empiricist Right Over. Read more.