Epistemology Reading Group
During the Fall 2008 Semester, the group will meet to discuss recent work on epistemic value. The group is open to everyone. This group is organized by John Greco and Joe Salerno.
History and Philosophy of Science Study Group
Kent Staley leads this interdisciplinary group for anyone whose interests are in the scientific/philosophical developments and problems of a particular historical period or setting, the conceptual or foundational issues of a particular science, or general philosophical problems relating to any aspect of the scientific enterprise. The purpose of the group is very simply to have a means by which people with these shared interests can gather together and learn. Activities may include discussions of readings, presentation of papers, invited speakers, tutorials on topics of interest, and anything else the group decides is a good idea. It is run as a cooperative venture between faculty and graduate students.
Medieval Latin Reading Group
Colleen McCluskey and Susan Brower-Toland coordinate the Medieval Latin reading group. The group meets for 1 hour every week to translate selected Medieval Latin philosophical texts (texts and authors vary from semester to semester). The group provides an informal setting for graduate students at all levels to maintain and improve their Latin skills. No advance preparation for sessions is required, and the only prerequisite is a basic knowledge of Latin grammar. We expect that students who are writing (or are planning to write) a dissertation in Medieval Philosophy will participate, but the group is by no means restricted to medievalists. Anyone interested in gaining greater facility in reading Latin philosophical texts is most welcome.
St. Louis Area Metaphysics Group
Philosophers from SLU, WashU, and UMSL will meet to discuss Alexander Bird's Nature's Metaphysics: Laws and Properties. Professor Bird will meet with the group for an "Author Meets Readers" session on February 13 at SLU. This group is organized by John Greco.
Modality Reading Group
Joe Salerno is the coordinator for the modality reading group. The group meets roughly every other week to discuss papers on the epistemology and metaphysics of necessity. Concentration in the Spring of 07 has been on the truth conditions and epistemology of counterfactual conditionals.
Social and Political Philosophy Reading group
The reading group invites graduate students and faculty to
meet throughout the academic year to discuss recent work in
social and political philosophy. Participant suggestions on
books and articles of interest are both welcome and
encouraged. The group meets once every two or three weeks,
and decides meeting times at the beginning of each semester
in order to accommodate as many participants as possible.
For the remainder of 2007, the group will be discussing
Onora O'Neill's "Bounds of Justice," a collection of
her essays on Kantian ethics, practical reasoning,
transnational justice, gender and identity.
Prof. Stump's Reading Groups
Eleonore Stump, the Robert J. Henle Chair in Philosophy, coordinates and leads three reading groups in which philosophy graduate students regularly participate.
(1) Dante and Aquinas Reading Group
Professor Stump coordinates and leads the Dante and Aquinas Reading Group. This reading group is a graduate student reading group that generally meets on a weekly basis. The goal of the group is to read through the entire Divine Comedy and discuss it in light of Aquinas's philosophical theology.
(2) Traditio Reading Group
Professor Stump, together with Fr. John Foley, jointly lead the Traditio reading group. This group is currently studying a selection of material from the philosophical and theological literature of the early Christian period (roughly, 100-800 AD), supplemented with literary and historical texts exemplifying this philosophy and theology. This group meets every other Saturday.
(3) Medieval Biblical Commentaries
Finally, Professor Stump coordinates and leads a reading group on medieval biblical commentaries. The group usually discusses one of Aquinas's biblical commentaries, but the current study is on Gregory the Great's commentary on the book of Job. This reading group meets on a weekly basis, and it is open to Philosophy graduate students.
St. Louis Area Group Reading Ancient Philosophy (SLAGRAP)
Scott Berman (Saint Louis University) and Eric Brown (Washington University) lead this bi-weekly meeting. The group discusses prepared original translations of philosophical texts in ancient Greek.
