News

Dr. Sheilah Maureen O’Flynn Brennan passed away on Sunday, April 11, 2021 at the age of 91. She retired in the late 1980's and is a significant figure in the history of our department. In 1971 she became the first female member of Notre Dame's Department of Philosophy, and she played an important role in the department from that time until her retirement. She specialized in ancient Greek philosophy and existentialism, and in 1982 won...

The Department of Philosophy is excited to welcome Stephen Ogden to the faculty, starting in fall 2021. Stephen specializes in classical Islamic philosophy, and also has interests in medieval philosophy, ancient philosophy, and the philosophy of religion. His book, Averroes on Intellect: From Aristotelian Origins to Aquinas’s Critique…

Three faculty members from Notre Dame’s Department of Philosophy — Richard Cross, Katharina Kraus, and Samuel Newlands — have been offered fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Scholars in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters have received a total of 68 NEH fellowships since 1999 — more than any other university in the country. 

Written by Phillip Sloan, Program of Liberal Studies/Program in History and Philosophy of Science I am honored to be asked to offer a few reflections on Edward Manier, a long-time colleague and friend who died on Thanksgiving Day. His general biographical details can readily be accessed through his detailed obituary available here…

The History of Philosophy Forum congratulates Katharina Kraus, Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy, for being awarded a Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (https://www.humboldt-foundation.de…

Professor Janet Kourany will be giving the 28th annual Vienna Circle Lecture "The Present Plight of Science, and Our Plight" on Wednesday, December 9, 2020. Previous lecturers include Saul Kripke (1993), Michael Friedmann (2000), Peter Galison (2009), and David Chalmers (2018). For a full list of events, visit the Vienna Circle Society website…

According to research published in The Lancet Planetary Health, scientists at Notre Dame found that particulate matter concentrations in China dropped by an unprecedented 29.7 percent, and by 17.1 percent in parts of Europe, during lockdowns that took place between Feb. 1 and March 31 in China and Feb. 21 to May 17 in Europe. 

Professor Sara Bernstein was selected as one of seven women across the University for Women Lead 2020.  In celebration of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, meet seven outstanding faculty members who are shifting paradigms in their fields as they work to build a better tomorrow.…

The Department of Philosophy is excited to announce that Jc Beall will join the department as the O’Neill Family Chair of Philosophy in the fall of 2020. Beall is one of the leading philosophical logicians in the world, and will add to the department’s strengths in that area. He is especially well-known for his work in non-classical logic and for his defense of logical pluralism in the philosophy of logic....

Kenneth Taylor, the Henry Waldgrave Stuart Professor of Philosophy at Stanford University, died this week. Professor Taylor did his undergraduate work at Notre Dame, where he graduated in 1977 with a major in the Program of Liberal Studies. Professor Taylor specialized in the philosophy of language and the philosophy of mind, and was the author of numerous influential books and papers. He was also well-known as the co-founder and co-host of...

On December 20th Jim Sterba will be debating Dinesh D’Souza on the question: "Capitalism or Socialism?" at the Turning Point Conference in Palm Beach, Florida. U.S. Senators, members of the U.S. Congress and conservative media stars will be there. None are expected to be pleased with Sterba's views.  …

Michael “Mic” Detlefsen, the McMahon-Hank Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame and editor of the Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic, died Monday (Oct. 21). He was 70.

It is with great sadness that we announce that our friend and colleague Mic Detlefsen passed away on October 21.  Mic had been on the faculty of the Notre Dame Philosophy Department since 1983, and since 1990 had held the McMahon-Hank Chair of Philosophy. Mic also had appointments in recent years at the University of Paris and the University of Nancy, and earlier visiting appointments at the College de France, Konstanz, ...

Paul McEldowney discusses why he believes the best way to appreciate and do mathematics is to engage with it on a philosophical level — and why philosophy is best done by engaging with current scientific and mathematics research. 

Mike Schur — creator of The Good Place and Parks and Recreation and a writer and producer on The Office — came to Notre Dame last week to talk to students in the 1-credit The Good Class, which focuses on the philosophy and production of his current NBC show, as well as multiple sections of the God and the Good Life introductory philosophy course.

As president of Allegis Group, a staffing and services company that works with upwards of half a million people a year, he lays out the firm’s investments, growth, and direction in the digital age — and sees a big part of his job as helping employees and clients in ways that go beyond day-to-day tasks. 

Therese Cory is one of 50 total members and one of two women — the third in the academy’s history — to be so honored.

Professor Patricia Blanchette and Professor David O'Connor have been awarded The Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by the Office of the Provost. The award honors up to 20 faculty members who have had a profound influence on the undergraduate learning experience, elevated students’ intellectual engagement, and fostered students’ ability to express themselves effectively within a disciplinary context. For more information on the award, visit the Office of the...

Colin Rahill’s time at Notre Dame has been defined by learning from some of the world’s great thinkers — whether it be on paper or in a temple on the other side of the globe. An English and philosophy major whose senior thesis focuses on the works of Percy Shelley and Soren Kierkegaard, Rahill spent six weeks last summer in Japan, including a month living at the Shoganji Temple with...

HPS Philosophy-track student Jamee Elder has been awarded a Heinrich Hertz Fellowship in History and Philosophy of Physics. This competitive Fellowship is awarded by the University of Bonn, where she will reside for the next academic year, as a research fellow in the Insititute of Philosophy.  Originally published by Goulding, Robert…