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Faculty-Student Working Groups

The History of Philosophy Reading Group (HOP), led by Prof. Getty Lustila and Prof. Jacob Stump, is a reading group dedicated to reading full-length texts in the history of philosophy. HOP, founded in 2022, is a space where we come together to read and think together in a vulnerable way, leaving ego and posturing aside. Currently, we are reading Martin Buber’s I and Thou. Previous texts have included Spinoza’s Ethics, Attar of Nishapur’s Conference of the Birds, Simone Weil’s Gravity and Grace, Friedrich Nietzsche’s Twilight of the Idols, and others. We meet from 5:15-6:15 in the Department of Philosophy and Religion common area.

Email: [email protected] and [email protected] for further information.

If you are interested in joining this group, or have any questions about it, please contact Getty Lustila ([email protected]), Associate Teaching Professor of Philosophy and Religion or Jacob Stump ([email protected]), Associate Teaching Professor of Philosophy.

The Biomedical Ethics Working Group is an interdisciplinary meeting of scholars and students interested in productive engagement with recent trends and topics in the ethics of medical research, clinical practice, public health policy, medical technologies, and any other social practice organized around health, wellness, and proper human functioning. The group will meet weekly to discuss relevant publications and works-in-progress. Everyone with a serious interest is welcome, from undergraduates to PHDs.

If you are interested in joining this group or have any questions, please reach out to Mark Wells ([email protected]), Associate Teaching Professor of Philosophy.

The masculinity reading group provides faculty and students from all disciplines with the opportunity to discuss, examine, and understand the nature of “masculinity”, taking into account historical and contemporary perspectives. Topics include things like masculinity and hierarchy, the social construction of gender, and masculinity’s relationship to various emotional phenomena. Topics, readings, and projects are decided upon by group members on an ongoing basis.

If you are interested in joining this group, or have any questions about it, inquiries should be directed to Ben Yelle ([email protected]), Teaching Professor of Philosophy

The Environment Philosophy Working Group provides faculty and students from all disciplines the opportunity to study and discuss current research in environmental philosophy and ethics, with a focus on issues related to biodiversity and nonhuman animals. Topics, readings, projects and speakers are decided upon by group members on an ongoing basis. Examples of topics include conservation philosophy, wild animal welfare, the ethics of conservation biotechnology, the concept of ‘naturalness’, and the moral status of liminal animals. The group aims to encourage and develop research projects and collaborations by its members.

If you are interested in joining this group, or have any questions about it, inquiries should be directed to Ronald Sandler ([email protected]), Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Ethics Institute, or Mark Wells ([email protected]), Assistant Teaching Professor of Philosophy.

The Rossetti Research Group was founded in Spring 2018 as part of the Rossetti Family Program for the Advancement of the Humanities. This group provides students from all disciplines the opportunity to work closely with faculty in studying topics within the humanities and social sciences. The aim of this group is to facilitate in-depth student projects on ideas and influential thinkers that they may not be exposed to otherwise. Each term the Rossetti Research Group selects a new topic to provide the focus for reading group meetings, student research projects and discussion groups. Research topics will be of interest to students in many disciplines ranging from philosophy to economics to mathematics and the natural sciences. Students from any discipline are encouraged to join the group.
If you are interested in joining this group, or have any questions about it, inquiries should be directed to Rory Smead ([email protected]), Associate Professor of Philosophy and Rossetti Professor for the Humanities.

The AI and Data Ethics Group provides faculty and students from all disciplines the opportunity to study and discuss emerging issues and current research related to information, data, computing and AI ethics. Topics, readings and speakers are decided upon by members of the group on an ongoing basis. Examples of topics include justice and fairness in machine learning, the form and extent of rights to information and technology access, the appropriate roles of institutions to prevent dissemination of misinformation, the responsible collection and sharing of data, AI research oversight models, and the moral status of artificial intelligences. The group also aims to encourage and develop information ethics research projects and collaborations by its members. Students and faculty from any discipline are encouraged to join.

If you are interested in joining this group, or have any questions about it, inquiries should be directed to Vance Ricks ([email protected]), Teaching Professor of Philosophy and Computer Science.