Information
Philosophy in the Community is a lecture and discussion series organized by the Philosophy Department at the University of Saskatchewan. It is in place as a public service, so that we may share the rewards and pleasures of philosophical reflection with the members of our community. Philosophical thinking, reading and analysis is part of the life well-lived.
This series is free, no registration is needed. No philosophical background is required; intellectual curiosity is. Coffee provided.
*This event is in the basement of Emmanuel Anglican Church. The standard way to enter is on the southwest side of the building via a flight of stairs. People with mobility issues are welcome to send a note to sarah.hoffman@usask.ca to arrange for other access. Please do this well in advance of the event. An external ramp on the north side of the building provides entry to the church, and from there an elevator can be used to get to the basement
For more information, contact: sarah.hoffman@usask.ca
| Location | The Refinery Emmanuel Anglican (formerly St. James) Church Basement 607 Dufferin Avenue (at 12th Street, just off Broadway) |
| Time | 7:00 – 9:00 PM |
| Dates | Second Friday of each month, September through March: |
2024- 25 Fall Series
September 13, 2024“Why Hope? Reflections on Addiction and Psychedelics” Sarah Hoffman,Professor, Philosophy A standard view of hope identifies it as a combination of desiring something and believing it possible but not certain. Adrienne Martin supplements this with the further idea that in hoping we also take ourselves to have sufficient reasons to engage in certain activities and feelings directed towards what we hope for. |
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November 8, 2024“Existential Therapy and Climate Anxiety” Erin Greer, MA Philosophy, MA Counselling Psychology
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December 13, 2024“Care in Buddhism and Neoplatonism” Daniel Regnier, Professor, Philosophy
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January 10, 2025“Lies, Respect for Others, and Evil” Emer O’Hagan, Professor, Philosophy |
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Feb 14, 2025“The Living Present: Co-creating time through Philosophy, Literature, and Life” Rachel Loewen-Walker, Professor, Political Studies, WGST |
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March 14, 2025"Numbers: Discovered or Invented?" Derek Postnikoff, Professor, Mathematics and Statistics, Philosophy |
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April 11, 2025"The Rule of Law and the Problem of Too Many Laws" Ria Jenkins, Professor, Philosophy The concept and value of the rule of law seems clear, especially in contrast to the rule by those exercising power arbitrarily (often referred to as the “rule by men”). It seems obvious that Canada is a rule of law jurisdiction, while dictatorships and authoritarian regimes are not. However, philosophers, in attempting to understand and articulate this idea, encounter all sorts of problems and perplexities. In this talk, I will introduce some of these philosophical perplexities by focusing on Vincent Chiao’s recent discussion of the problem of “hyperlexis” or too many laws. It seems that the sheer number and complexity of rules undermine both the rule of law and our confidence in calling Canada a rule of law jurisdiction. Although Chiao’s own attempt at a solution simply shifts the problem to a different level, he does point to a temporal complexity with the idea of the rule of law that must be addressed in any account of the rule of law.
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