Philosophy Newsletter - Fall 2026 |
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Dear alumni and friends, Greetings from Peabody! The Fall semester is already in full swing, and the building is buzzing with student and faculty activity. In what follows, I share some updates about how things are going in the Department of Philosophy.
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I also wanted to let you know about philosophy in the news. The subject is really having a moment. Recent articles in The New York Times, The Economist, The Atlantic, and Wired
have drawn attention to the value of philosophical training in today's world. In light of this, UGA’s Department of Philosophy and our new Ethics Hub (see below) will play an important role in preparing UGA students to help their communities safely navigate through the changes brought about by emerging technology.
We appreciate your interest in Philosophy @ UGA. Please email me at Aaron.Meskin@uga.edu if you have any questions, want to share something about your time at UGA, or would like to arrange a visit. Perhaps we will see you at an upcoming Philosophy Cafe event. Go Dawgs! Aaron Meskin Professor and head of the philosophy department |
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Kleiner Lectures in the Fall semester |
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Becko Copenhaver, professor of philosophy and philosophy-neuroscience-psychology at Washington University in St. Louis |
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The Department of Philosophy is looking forward to another great year for the Scott and Heather Kleiner Lecture series. These lectures allow us to bring cutting-edge philosophical thinking from all over the country to Athens and UGA, benefiting our students and the University community at large.
For the Fall semester, we are welcoming Professor Becko Copenhaver from Washington University in St. Louis on September 17, Dr. Keshav Singh from the University of Alabama at Birmingham on October 8, and Professor Charlie Kurth from Clemson University on November 19. These lectures are open to the public, so please join us! And if you can’t make it to our Fall talks, keep an eye out for our announcements about the Spring series, coming soon. |
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Franklin College of Arts and Sciences launches new Ethics Hub
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Beginning in Fall 2027, all new UGA undergraduates, regardless of major, will complete a 3-credit course in ethical reasoning. In order to facilitate this new ethics requirement and further develop UGA’s status as a recognized national and international leader in ethics research and teaching, Franklin College has launched an Ethics Hub anchored in the Department of Philosophy and led by newly-hired Professor Kurth.
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Charlie Kurth, philosophy professor at Clemson University |
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The establishment of this Ethics Hub represents a significant commitment to expand the study and teaching of ethics at UGA. As we embark on this new endeavor, we hope that you will consider supporting the Ethics Hub with a donation—any amount can make a difference. |
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Recent Graduate Successes |
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The graduate students in the Philosophy Department continue to be active and productive. Our Philosophy Graduate Student Association will be organizing and hosting the Student Philosophy in the South Conference for the second year in a row. Several current and former graduate students (including a Double Dawg graduate who is now in a doctoral program at Indiana University Bloomington) also attended and completed the American Association of Philosophy Teachers training seminar.
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| Matthew Jackson ('23 MA philosophy); Alex Asay (UGA philosophy Ph.D. candidate); Kimberly Van Orman (lecturer in UGA's Institute for Artificial Intelligence); Frank Granados Orozco (philosophy Ph.D. candidate) |
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Dr. Rissa Willis successfully defended their dissertation over the summer and has now begun an appointment at Auburn University. Alex Asay has recently published a book, co-written with Francisco Javier López Frías, on the philosophy of Bernard Suits. This is an exceptionally impressive accomplishment for a graduate student, and we are very proud of Alex’s work. Kali Grecia published a piece on Tyler the Creator at Blackwell’s Philosophy and Pop Culture blog.
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The Department of Philosophy is excited to announce that two new faculty members have started this Fall. |
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Drew Costa, lecturer in UGA's philosophy department |
Dr. Drew Costa, who has been doing an excellent job for us over the past few years as an instructor, has just been hired as a lecturer. Drew received his PhD from SUNY Albany and will teach a wide range of courses for us. |
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| Mike Zahorec, lecturer in UGA's philosophy department |
Dr. Mike Zahorec, who just defended his PhD at Florida State University, has a lecturer appointment in both the Department of Philosophy and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence. He will focus on teaching AI and Cognitive Science courses for both units. |
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Drew and Mike are not just philosophers—they are both active members of Athens' great music scene. We welcome both of them to the department! Professor Kurth, mentioned above, will be joining us in January. |
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The Department has begun sponsoring a monthly Philosophy Cafe at Athentic Brewing Company in Athens. The Cafe, held from 6:30-8:00 PM on the second Sunday of every month, focuses on informal discussions of philosophical issues and questions. |
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There was good turnout for the first meeting on September 13, where our own Professor Sarah Wright and Professor Ruth Harman (Language and Literacy Education) were very successful in getting attendees to think about how everyday choices reflect our ethical character and our understanding of virtue. Our next meeting on October 11 will feature new Philosophy and AI Lecturer, Dr. Mike Zahorec, asking the question "Can you convince a philosopher he is wrong about AI?” We encourage you to come along and join the conversation!
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Your support helps bring speakers to campus, fund student research, and enrich the life of the department. |
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