UC San Diego Philosophy and Literature double major Paulina Pineda-Severiano has been awarded the 2017 Allison Prize. Paulina was born in Mexico City, but grew up in the city of San Luis Potosi. She began higher education at Southwestern Community College in Chula Vista in 2008 as a Philosophy major, earning an Associate's Degree in 2012. She began study at UCSD in 2014 as a Philosophy major, and later petitioned to obtain a degree in Spanish Literature. While at UCSD she was awarded a scholarship by the McNair program, and presented her research on indigenous literature at two McNair conferences - one at UCSD and the other at a national conference at UC Berkeley. In Fall 2017 she will start the Ph.D. program Comparative Literature at Princeton University, where she plans to continue her research on indigenous literature. During summer 2018 she plans to travel to Oaxaca, Mexico to study the Zapotec language. The Allison Prize is awarded to the most outstanding Philosophy Major at UCSD who is going on to graduate study. The Prize is made possible by a generous continuing donation from Emeritus Philosophy Professor Henry Allison. Congratulations to Paulina and thank you to Professor Allison!

Asking questions is a matter of course for UC San Diego Philosopher Nancy Cartwright. Her queries include, “What makes something evidence for something else?” and “Does policy work define outcomes?”

His term as Vice President begins on 1 July 2017, and then he becomes President on 1 July 2018.

The prize is awarded by the Phi Beta Kappa Society (PBK) in conjunction with the American Philosophical Association (APA). The prize is unusual in that its winners “must be two philosophers who hold contrasting views on a chosen topic of current interest in philosophy,” according to the APA. The two philosophers will present their views in a public lecture and at an annual Lebowitz symposium held at one of the APA divisional meetings.

Monique Wonderly to join the Philosophy Department in fall 2018!

Reuven Brandt to join the Philosophy Department in fall 2017!

On just war.

Just War theory - as it was developed by the Catholic theologians of medieval Europe and the jurists of the Renaissance - is a framework for the moral and legal evaluation of armed conflicts.

Cartwright has been influential because of her focus on the actual practice of science, rather than the abstract theorizing that is usually performed in the area of philosophy of science.

This is a rare award, bestowed on a small number of extremely distinguished researchers (including last yr's recipient, David Brink). the award is conferred for a distinguished career, so honors significant intellectual contributions made over many years. in fact, the award contains the word 'Excellence' not once but twice in its name, so you know it's got to be important.

February 14, 2017 Reception begins at 2:00 p.m. Lectures begin at 2:30 p.m. The Ida & Cecil Green Faculty Club RSVP to awelch@ucsd.edu

The Center for the Humanities is excited to announce its first New Faculty Q & A of the Fall, featuring philosophy professor Dr. Jennifer Carr on the social responsibilities of epistemologists and metaphysicians in light of recent political events. Dr. Carr's talk will take place Monday, December 5th from noon to 1:30 pm in Lit 310.

Free will has been debated by philosophers and theologians for centuries. Neuroscientists and psychologists have now entered the fray - but what new light can they shed? And just how free are we when it comes to “free” will?

This workshop will follow the standard RTTP teacher-instruction model, which sees conference participants learn the method by playing an RTTP game. Our game will be Rousseau, Burke and Revolution in France, 1791. Participants who attend this workshop will gain sufficient familiarity with the method to use this and other RTTP games in their classes. Published games that are used by philosophers include the French Revolution game, which focuses on texts in early modern political philosophy, The Threshold of Democracy: Athens in 403 BC (ancient philosophy) and Charles Darwin, The Copley Medal, and the Rise of Naturalism, 1862-1864 (philosophy of science).