The Zeno Lectures series in Philosophy (Archive 2005-2011)
The Zeno Lectures are given
by internationally acclaimed philosophers on a wide range of central
philosophical issues. Since 2005, this annual series of philosophy
lectures have been jointly organized by Dr. Joel Anderson (on behalf of
the Department of Philosophy at Utrecht University) and Dr. Herman
Siemens (on behalf of the
Institute
for
Philosophy
at
Leiden University). Now that the
Leiden-Utrecht interdepartmental research partnership has ended and the
"Zeno
Institute" now houses exclusively the research activities of the
Utrecht philosophy department, the two philosophy
departments now organize seperate lecture series. From the autumn
of 2011 on, and only the lectures in Utrecht are now refered to as
"Zeno Lectures." Last updated: 2011-09-14
Prof. Peter Singer
is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at
the University Centre for Human
Values, Princeton University, and is perhaps the foremost ethicist
alive today. His works on global poverty and the moral status of
animals have had a huge impact inside and outside the humanities.
He has also written extensively in the history of philosophy,
meta-ethics, and political philosophy. His books (translated into 20
languages) include: Animal
Liberation; Democracy and Disobedience; Practical Ethics; The Expanding
Circle; Hegel; How Are We to Live?; Marx; Rethinking Life and Death; One World; and The Life You Can Save. Thursday, October 7,
2010: 15.15 -
17.00 in LEIDEN Jay Wallace (UC
Berkeley):
"The Bourgeois Predicament"
(Lipsius Building, room 203;
Cleveringaplaats 1).
Jay Wallace (PhD Princeton, 1988) is Professor of Philosophy at UC
Berkeley and is a renowned moral philosopher. His interests extend to
all parts of the subject (including its history), and to allied areas
like political philosophy, philosophy of law, and philosophy of action.
His research has focused on responsibility, moral psychology, and the
theory of practical reason. Recently he has written on promising,
normativity, constructivism, instrumental reason, resentment and
hypocrisy. Next to numerous articles, edited volumes and
book-contributions, he has published Normativity and the Will. Selected
Essays on Moral Psychology and Practical Reason (2006) and
Responsibility and the Moral Sentiments (1994).
Thursday, November 11, 2010 (4-6 p.m.)
in UTRECHT
Gábor Betegh (Central European University), "Aristophanes'
Portrayal of Socrates: A Riddle Reconsidered." (Uithof
campus;
Ruppertgebouw, Room C).
Gábor Betegh is professor at the Philosophy Department of the
Central European University. He studied at Eötvös University
in Budapest, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris,
and at the University of Cambridge. He has contributed significantly to
the study of ancient philosophy, in particular ancient metaphysics,
cosmology and theology. In 2004 he published the widely acclaimed
monograph The Derveni Papyrus: Cosmology, Theology and Interpretation
(Cambridge University Press; paperback edition: 2007).
Thursday, December 16, 2010, 16:00 -
18:00 in LEIDEN Nietzsche & Kant
specialist Prof.
Beatrix
Himmelmann
(Tromsø,
Norway) will present a lecture
entitled "Towards Perpetual
Peace – Does this Idea Allow for Inevitable
or even Desirable Conflict?" (Gravensteen, room 011,
Pieterskerkhof 6).
Beatrix Himmelmann is Professor of Philosophy at the University of
Tromsø (Norway). She has worked extensively on themes in Kant
and Nietzsche; her systematic interests focus on issues of practical
philosophy. She has held visiting positions at Zurich University,
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, and Brown University. Her book publications
include Kants Begriff des
Glücks (2003); (ed.) Kant
und
Nietzsche
im
Widerstreit (2005); Nietzsche
(2006). Since 2004, she
has been President of the German Nietzsche Society.
(Beatrix Himmelman’s lecture will open the Workshop, "Cosmopolitanism
and
Conflict" (Dec. 16-17):
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011 (4-6 PM)
IN UTRECHT (Kromme
Nieuwegracht 80, 0.06), Prof.
Catherine
Wilson
(University
of
Aberdeen) will speak on
"What was Kant's Critical
Philosophy Critical Of?"
Prof. Wilson's main research
focus lies at the intersection between scientific knowledge and
philosophy, the latter comprising metaphysics, epistemology, and
ethics. She is particularly interested in the evolution of the life
sciences, and the way in which their results have been taken up-- or
resisted and contested-- by philosophers from the 17th C. down to the
present, also in the history of atomism. She is the author of the
following books: Epicureanism at the Origins of Modernity (Oxford
University Press, 2008), Moral Animals: Ideals and Constraints in Moral
Theory (Oxford University Press, 2004), Descartes's Meditations: An
Introduction (Cambridge University Press, 2003), The Invisible World:
Early Modern Philosophy and the Invention of the Microscope (Princeton
University Press, 1995), and Leibniz's Metaphysics: A Historical and
Comparative Study (Princeton University Press, 1989)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2011 16.00
-18.00 IN LEIDENProf.
Christopher
Shields, Professor of Classical Philosophy, University
of Oxford, Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall will speak on the topic: 'Hylomorphic Mental Causation'.
He
explains:
"Despite the
Aristotelian term in the title, it is actually a talk in contemporary
philosophy of mind, though one which attempts to deploy an Aristotelian
principle in modern garb as part of the solution to a putative problem
about mental causation. In any event, it presumes no
knowledge of Aristotle or the Aristotelian tradition, and is intended
to be systematic rather than historical in orientation."
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011 (4-6 PM) IN
UTRECHT (Raadzaal of the School of Law: Pietershof, Achter Sint
Pieter 200), Prof.
Geert
Keil
(Humboldt
Universität,
Berlin) will be giving a lecture entitled: "Free Will: A Libertarian Sketch"
Abstract: According to the
libertartian view of free will, it is sometimes true that an agent
could have decided otherwise in exactly the same circumstances. Often
it is argued that libertarian free will requires the miraculous ability
to alter the laws of physics, or that it involves Cartesian dualism or
depicts agents as prime movers unmoved. Geert Keil argues that
libertarianism can be untangled from these myths, and that it does not
contradict any facts but only ill-founded philosophical doctrines.
Prof. Keil specializes
in action theory, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophical
anthropology, and philosophy of science. He is currently co-directing a
major grant from the Volkswagen Stiftung entitled, "Vernünftiger
Umgang mit unscharfen Grenzen Vagheits- und
Unbestimmtheitsphänomene als Herausforderung für Philosophie
und Recht". In addition to numerous articles, he is the author of
the following books: Willensfreiheit und Determinismus (2009);
Willensfreiheit (2007), Quine zur Einführung (2002) Handeln und
Verursachen (2000), Kritik des Naturalismus (1993). Prof. Keil
will be visiting Utrecht also in connection with his participation in
Thomas Müller's European Research Council project, "Indeterminism
Ltd."
ON MONDAY, MAY 30, 2011 (4-6)
in UTRECHT (in the Senaatzaal
of
the
Academie
Building, next to the Dom), Prof. Peter
Singer will speak on "Ethics and Animals". The
Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at the University Centre for Human
Values, Princeton University, Singer is perhaps the foremost ethicist
alive today. His works on global poverty and the moral status of
animals have had a huge impact inside and outside the humanity.
He has also written extensively in the history of philosophy,
meta-ethics, and political philosophy.
Zeno Lectures 2009-10
September 17, 2009: Dominik
Perler (Humboldt Universität, Berlin), "Metaphysical Limits to
Radical Doubts: Medieval Debates on Skeptical Hypotheses."
September 24, 2009: Michael
della Rocca (Yale) Michael Della Rocca (Yale)
"Primitive Persistence and the Impasse between Three-Dimensionalism and
Four-Dimensionalism". In LEIDEN (Inst. of Philosophy, zaal 005,
Vrieshof 4)
November 19, 2009: Timothy
Williamson (Oxford University), "The Stucture of Safety"
(addressing issues in epistemology) In UTRECHT (in the "Van Lier
&
Eggink Zaal", which is next to the main entrance of the Bestuursgebouw
(on the ground floor), at the Uithof campus).
December 3, 2009: Dan Zahavi (University
of Copenhagen and Center for Subjectivity Research), "Shame
and the Exposed Self." In LEIDEN: (Lipsiusgebouw zaal 003)
January 25, 2010
(MONDAY!): Christoph
Horn (Universität Bonn), "The Concept of Morality -- To What
Extent is it Present in Ancient Philosophy?" In UTRECHT
("Boothzaal"
of the Universitetisbibliotheek)
Thursday, April 8,
2010: Raymond
Geuss (Cambridge University). "The Future of Evil,"in
Utrecht.
Thursday, June 10, 2010: David Velleman (New York
University). "Regarding Doing Being Ordinary," in Leiden.
**********
Zeno Lectures 2008-2009
October 9, 2008 (Thursday,
16:00 -
18:00) ZENO Utrecht
("Boothzaal"
of the Universitetisbibliotheek): Axel
Hutter (München),
"The Metaphysics of Enlightenment: Kant and Hegel"
November 6, 2008 (Thursday, 16:00 – 18:00) ZENO Leiden (Lipsiusgebouw,
room
227): Christof
Rapp (Humboldt, Berlin) on
"Aristotle on the Moral
Psychology of Persuasion"
December 2, 2008 (Tuesday, 16:00 -
18:00) ZENO Utrecht
("Boothzaal"
of the Universitetisbibliotheek): Michael
Thompson (Pittsburgh), "You and I"
January 29, 2009 (Thursday, 16:00 -
18:00) ZENO Utrecht
("Boothzaal" of the Universitetisbibliotheek): Rainer
Forst (Frankfurt), "Two Pictures of Justice"
February 12, 2009 (Thursday 16:00 – 18:00) ZENO Leiden (Lipsiusgebouw,
room
148): Stephen
Darwall (Yale), "But It Would Be Wrong"
March 5, 2009 (Thursday 16:00 – 18:00) ZENO Leiden (Lipsiusgebouw,
room
148): Richard
Kraut (Northwestern) on "Against Absolute Goodness"
April 9 (niet March 19!), 2009 (Thursday
16:00 – 18:00) ZENO Leiden (Lipsiusgebouw,
room 148): Christia
Mercer on "Leibniz and Spinoza on Epistemological Optimism"
April 27, 2009 (Monday, 16:00 -
18:00) ZENO Utrecht (in
the
Aula,
Academiegebouw)
: Christine
Korsgaard (Harvard) "The Activity of Reason"
Zeno Lectures 2007-2008
September 13 (Thursday 16:00
– 18:00) in Leiden (Lipsiusgebouw, room 148; Cleveringaplaats 1) Jürgen
Trabant
(Freie Universität Berlin)
"Hercules,
Homer, and Metaphysics: An Introduction to the Philosophy of
Giambattista Vico"
November 23 (Friday 15:00 –
17:00) in Utrecht: (Kanunnikenzaal, Faculty Club Helios,
Achter het Dom 7) Peter M.S.
Hacker
(St. John's College, Oxford)
"The Concept of a Person"
November 29 (Thursday 16:00 – 18:00)
in Leiden (Lipsiusgebouw,
room
148;
Cleveringaplaats
1) Stephan
Hartmann (Tilburg Universiteit)
"Between Unity and Disunity: A Bayesian Account of Intertheoretic
Relations"
December 6 (Thursday 16:00 – 18:00) in
Utrecht: (Boothzaal
of the
Universiteitsbibliotheek - changed!) Jonathan Barnes
(l'Université de Paris IV-Sorbonne)
"Scepticism
and Belief"
January 10 (Thursday 16:00 – 18:00) in Utrecht (Boothzaal of the
Universiteitsbibliotheek) Michael
Williams (Johns Hopkins University)
on Scepticism - Ancient
and
Modern
March 13 (Thursday17:00 – 19:00)
ZENO
Leiden (Lipsiusgebouw,
room
148;
Cleveringaplaats
1) Roger Pouivet
(l'Université de Nancy and Director of the "Archives
Poincaré")
"Aquinas and Contemporary
Virtue Epistemology"
May 22 (Thursday 16:00 – 18:00) ZENO
Leiden (Lipsiusgebouw,
room
148;
Cleveringaplaats
1) Dan
Conway (Texas A & M University)
"Kierkegaard and his
Pseudonyms: Toward a Critique of Modernity." June 5 (Thursday 16:00 –
18:00) in Utrecht (Boothzaal of the Universiteitsbibliotheek) Anthony Laden
(University of Illinois, Chicago)
"The Rational
Significance of Gossip and Idle Chatter"
**********
Zeno Lectures for 2006-2007
September 19, 2006 (Tuesday
16:00 – 18:00) in UTRECHT, Ruppertgebouw, Room A Richard Moran
(Harvard University): "Understanding the Talking Animals"
October 12, 2006 (Thursday
16:00 – 18:00) in LEIDEN: Marcus
Willaschek(Goethe
Universität, Frankfurt): "A Contextualist Account of Freedom of
the Will"
November 16, 2006 (Thursday
17:00 – 19:00) in UTRECHT, Ruppertgebouw, Room A (not Nov. 23, as
announced ealier!) Susan James(Birkbeck College, London):
"Democracy and the Good Life in Spinoza's Philosophy"
February 15, 2007
(Thursday,16:00 – 18:00) in UTRECHT (Universiteit Utrecht, Uithof; the
"Boothzaal" of the Universitetisbibliotheek) David Copp
(University of Florida): "Moral Skepticism, Revisited"
March 9, 2007 (Friday afternoon) in LEIDEN:
Volker
Gerhardt(Humboldt
Universität, Berlin): "Participation: The Principle of
Politics"
April 26, 2007 (Thursday 16:00 – 18:00) in
UTRECHT (Universiteit Utrecht, Uithof; the "Boothzaal" of the
Universitetisbibliotheek) Dennis Des Chene
(Washington University in St. Louis): "Using the Passions"
May 24, 2007 (Thursday 16:00 – 18:00) in
LEIDEN:
Alessandro
Linguiti (Siena), ‘Plotinus on Happiness’
June 14 (Thursday 16:00-18:00)
in LEIDEN: (postponed)
Christina d’Ancona (Pisa),
"Crowning Metaphysics with Theology. From Late Antiquity to the Arabic
and Latin Middle Ages"
