A colloquium with Hunter McEwan, College of Education, exploring how philosophers’ stories have influenced the ways that we think of teaching.

Two kinds of stories—genealogies and portraits—are of particular note in influencing Western conceptions of teaching: genealogies provide accounts of how teaching might have come about; portraits offer representations of exemplary teachers. The discussion of these narratives will focus attention on competing representations of the "teacher as artist" and the "teacher as healer."

November 13, 2009, 2:30 pm, Sakamaki C-308

Colloquium Presentation with Dr. Roy Perrett, Department of Philosophy, University of Hawai'i at Manoa

The standard received view in both Western and Indian philosophy is that I cannot doubt that I exist. Some psychiatric patients suffering from Cotard’s Syndrome, however, assert that they do not exist. I address this apparent empirical challenge to the first-person indubitability of one's own existence.

Friday, December 4th, 2:30 pm

Sakamaki Lounge C-308

 An inquiry featuring Amber Makaiau and Chad Miller, Ph.D. candidates in the College of Education and teachers at Kailua High School

For many people "philosophy" is viewed as about content; it is a subject to be taught.  This has been a major barrier to any serious consideration of philosophy as having a role to play pre-college.  Teachers are already overwhelmed with content to teach and simply "don't have room for more".  When philosophy is seen primarily as an activity things change.  Amber & Chad, assisted by their philosopher-in-residence Ben Lukey, have been successful in making philosophy central to their work in teaching Ethnic Studies/Philosophy (Amber) and English (Chad).  Join the inquiry into how this works and what it means.

 October 30th at 2:30 pm in Sakamaki C-308