(Dis)valuable Emotions
A shared discussion about the nature, value, and disvalue of emotions like compassion, guilt, and vengeance. We begin with a story!
Children Affected by the Criminal Justice System: An Unseen Population
Join us for a conversation about how many children in Vermont are impacted by parental incarceration each year and what systems are in place to support their unique needs.
A Crazy Little Thing Called Philosophy
Why philosophy? Come for a talk about what it is and why you should be interested in learning more about it.
AI and Philosophy: A Conversation
Philosopher of science Tom Pashby engages UVM AI researcher Nick Cheney in a conversation about the present and future of machine learning and its philosophical implications.
The Problem of Hell
Abrahamic religions are committed to the existence of Hell. Does this make any sense given their commitments to God's nature? Let's talk.
The Cows Don't Milk Themselves: Grassroots Organizing for Immigrant/Worker Rights
Hear from leaders in Vermont's Latine immigrant community about grassroots organizing, worker-driven social responsibility, and resistance in the time of Trump 2.0
Respect
We'll discuss respect and when and why government policies disrespect citizens and subjects in clinical trials. We'll also talk about how to engage people who support these policies while also recognizing respect as an essential aspect of treating people ethically.
What's Wrong with Gaming It?
Let's talk games! What is the relationship between games and agency? What are the dangers of gamifying ordinary life? What is to be gained?
Chinese Philosophy
This event will explore key ideas from Confucianism, Daoism, and other schools of thought, considering their relevance to contemporary life. How do these perspectives differ from Western Tradition? Are they relevant in our Western world? Whether you're new to Chinese philosophy or have studied it before, this open conversation welcomes all perspectives in a relaxed, discussion-based setting.
Can AI Make Art?
As generative AI transforms creative industries many critical questions arise: Can AI truly create art? Does the creation of art require agency? How does AI impact artists’ creative autonomy, ownership, and fairness in the artistic landscape? We will talk about our recent research on these questions and about how AI has affected our artistic practice. The session will conclude with an interactive, hands-on activity where participants will engage with these topics.
Sounds of Silence
Do you know what silence is? (Everyone does, right?) Can you hear silence? How often do you think about silence? Is silence possible in a group of people? Is silence possible at all? Are these questions worth posing in a public forum or should we just be silent? Come find out!
The Ethics of Housing
Housing is a human right and a commodity, but what does that have to do with me? What obligations do ordinary people have to make housing available and accessible and how?
The Art of Storytelling: Crafting Authentic and Impactful Narratives
What makes a great storyteller? Join us for a workshop on crafting narratives that foster connections, provoke thought and inspiration, and authentically represent key players in a story.
Skateboarders: Philosophers of the Street
We consider why cities throughout the world are encouraging skateboarding in their urban planning decisions due to the numerous physical, mental, and social benefits they bring to urban life.
We Have Always Been at War with Computers
Join us for a conversation about computers: what they are, how we use them, and why we use them wrong. Also why it's not our fault. The values supposedly imbued into technology are not the ones actually reflected back at technology users. We'll talk about how various dark patterns serve the goals of capitalism not community and what we can do about it.
Creating and Consuming News in Times Like These
Vermont reporters from local and national outlets gather to discuss news burnout, partisanship, and democracy with each other and attendees.
Thinking Machines and the Human Story
AI is approaching — and in some cases, surpassing — human-level ability in many areas that, for all of previous history, have been the sole provenance of human minds. Is it a good idea to build machines like this? How might it go well? How might it go badly? How prepared are we for a world where human intelligence is outclassed by the artificial? Join for a talk followed by group discussion.
You Are What You Eat: Exploring the Ethics of Cannibalism
Join us for a discussion about the ethics of consensual cannibalism, featuring questions about consent, psychosocial norms, and dignity after death. This event is BYOB (Bring your own body!).
Animal Testing in the Modern World: Ethical Questions and Solutions
We will explore the complex moral dilemmas surrounding the use of animals in scientific research and the emerging alternatives that seek to reduce harm while advancing scientific progress.
The Twilight Zone Examined
Join Dr. Mike and Bethany for an interactive, philosophical exploration at the intersection of truth, power and obsolescence in The Twilight Zone. This program includes a full screening of season 2, episode 29 ‘The Obsolete Man’, showcasing librarian Romney Wordsworth’s dramatic resistance to a totalitarian state that has, “like every one of the super-states that’s preceded it,…one iron rule: Logic is an enemy and truth is a menace.”
Self, Identity, and Why Fernando Pessoa Was the Four Best Portuguese Poets
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
"Should Patients Be Patient?" and Other Questions of Health-Related Ethics
Most debates about medical ethics deal with what practitioners ought to do. In this round-table discussion, a former UVM philosophy student and current cancer patient will pose questions to the group about the responsibilities of patients. Post-talk drinks at Three Penny Taproom.
Thinking About Sticks
Sit around a fire to think about sticks and talk about how noticing things, and bringing curiosity and creativity to your experiences, adds psychological richness to your life. This event will be held in the Sacred Circle, approximately 50 yards from the trailhead parking lot. As long as the roads are safe enough to drive up the mountain, and there is not a downpour, this event is happening! Dress weather appropriate and bring a chair/blanket if you like; limited bench seating is available.
Co-ops and the American Myth of the Rugged Individualist
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Philosophical Debate
Join local high schoolers to talk about philosophy as an extracurricular activity and Ethics Bowl, a national philosophical competition.
The Tao of Ethics
We will explore the "easy" Taoist approach to natural ethics—an elegant morality without supernatural authority. Taoist “worship of nature” is really veneration of the natural way of things and emphasizes living in harmony with the flow of existence. In our discussion, we will start to uncover an ethical system that is intuitive, adaptive, and rooted in the way things unfold in the world around us.
The Philosophy of Bicycling
Many people have stopped into the Vermont Bicycle Shop for a tube, fix a squeaky brake, meet up for a group ride, or to get a brand spanking new bicycle. In a twist on what you normally do at the shop we will be taking a philosophical exploration of bicycling. What is a cyclist? Should you be bicycling instead of driving? Is there something spiritual about cycling?
The Ethical Crises of Immigrant Detention in the US
What kinds of ethical principles should inform the relationship between the state and immigrants? How can ethical perspectives inform a critique of state violence against immigrants in the U.S.? This talk considers how a framework of normative ethics can inform an analysis of immigrant detention law in the United States.
Severance and the Self
A spoiler-free discussion of memory, personal identity, and the splintering of the self on Apple TV’s hit show, Severance.
The Insect Ethic: Why Tiny Lives Matter
Insects are essential to our planet, yet they’re often overlooked. This talk explores why these tiny beings deserve our moral consideration and how rethinking our relationship with them can make a big impact—for them, for the environment, and for us.
Some Reflections on the Regulation of Mind-Altering Substance: Psychedelic Drugs and Marijuana
The talk will discuss some philosophical theories that inform the regulation of people’s activities and choices. We will also look at some empirical findings on the benefits/harms of psychedelic drugs and marijuana, and some recent events relating to the practice (or research) of psychedelic drugs.
Read & Imagine with Everywhere Philosophy!
Join Dr. Mike & Bethany for a reading of Patty Lovell's Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon and an immersive program exploring the intersection of happiness and self-confidence. We'll weave storytelling and philosophy together with art, play, and activities. This program is developed for young readers, but children and adults of all ages are welcome!
A Circular Economy for Food (and Care) in Downtown Burlington
What is the role of restaurants in regenerating the social fabric of a town? Join us as we explore how a model of "circularity" may contribute to the resilience of our local food system and our community.
What Is a Fascist?
Inspired by the works of Frankfurt School philosophers like Theodor Adorno and Hannah Arendt, we'll discuss what makes a fascist and talk about how authoritarian thought and rhetoric can spread in small, seemingly mundane ways all throughout a population.
Science, Philosophy, and Making Meaning in a More-Than-Human World
What happens when we take other species seriously when learning about the nature of the world (ontology), how and what we can know about it (epistemology), and how we should live (ethics)?
Quarterlife-, Midlife, and Three-Quarterlife Crises
Let's talk about pressures on young people, middle-aged people, and old people, and what those pressures share and what they don't, and what we can do about them.
Can Atheists Have Faith?
Some philosophers argue that despite their disbelief, atheists can rationally have faith in a god or gods, and other philosophers disagree! Join us for a discussion about the nature of faith and how it relates to belief and doubt.
In Opposition to Evil
Resisting evil is a requirement for humanity. Morality, ethics and analysis all acknowledge this duty. Apathy and inaction merely perpetuate evil's machinations, and in doing so, are evil themself. Thus, it is the responsibility of each individual to resist evil, in whatever capacity they are capable of.
Nurturing Pro-Environmental Values through Forest Bathing
Spending time in nature creates wellbeing and might positively influence pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. As people spend less and less time outdoors and in nature, there is a critical concern about the diminished exposure to nature may lead to less support for pro-environmental values with ensuing negative consequences for the environment. One avenue for the nurturing of a pro-environmental attitude toward nature is through the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing. In this workshop, we will learn the fundamentals of forest bathing from Duncan Murdoch, a Vermont based certified nature and forest therapy guide, who will guide us through a forest bathing experience in Centennial Woods on the UVM campus.
Schools Matter
While there is no shortage of political noise about public education, what are the fundamental beliefs and core values that lead communities to build and maintain their public schools?
Hell Yes, Wellness!
What does wellness mean to you? What’s getting in the way of individual and collective wellness? What can you/we do to promote wellness? Gather for a discussion that will make you want to go after it
Restorative Justice: Its Limitations, Progress and Potential
Restorative Justice is a non-punitive paradigm toward addressing harm and crime that has been part of our western criminal legal system since the 1970’s. Is addressing the harm of an incident enough if one isn’t addressing the roots of the incident? Does RJ in the criminal justice system only have value when comparing it to the mainstream system? What is your vision of restorative justice’s promise in Vermont? Come join us for a dialogue about the potentially revolutionary paradigm of restorative practices and what barriers it faces in Vermont today.
To Be or Not to Be: The Ethics of Having (or Not Having) Children in a Troubled World
As climate change, economic instability, and global uncertainties grow, so does the debate over whether bringing children into the world is a moral obligation or a moral mistake. Some argue that we have a duty to reproduce, while others claim that having children is ethically questionable, quoting suffering, overpopulation, and environmental impact. This talk will explore key philosophical perspectives on both sides, from antinatalists like David Benatar to pronatalist arguments rooted in duty, love, or existential hope. We will examine whether procreation is a personal choice free from moral weight or a decision that carries deep ethical consequences.
Public Philosophy Week Pub Quiz
Think you know philosophy? Come test your knowledge at the PPW Pub Quiz!
Saying It Might Make It So
Often, saying it doesn’t make it so. But sometimes it does, like when a judge pronounces a verdict, when you make a promise, and when a referee makes a call. Join us for a discussion of how we perform actions through our speech (promising, pronouncing, asserting, etc.) and how that performance may go awry
What Does It Mean to Belong? Signing Deaf Individuals in Hearing-Centric Spaces
This session explores the meaning of belonging and how it differs between signing Deaf individuals and English-speaking nondeaf individuals. While belonging is widely promoted in education, we must critically examine how it is fostered when different groups may conceptualize belonging in fundamentally different ways.
Kids’ Rights, Kids’ Liberation
Sela (11) and Ilyse (timeless) Morgenstein Fuerst talk briefly about the history of kids rights and the future kids imagine. Topics of discussion include: labor laws and kids’ activism, access to medical care, voting, and kids’ self-determination. Letter-writing and zine making is part of the program!