2021 Webster Undergraduate Philosophy Conference schedule
NOTE: All times Central Daylight Time (St. Louis)
Wednesday
Zoom link: https://webster-edu.zoom.us/j/91403488181
3 PM
Leatrice McNeal, Webster University, “Strong Black Woman: Is It a Positive or Negative Attribute?”
Jillian Wilson, Webster University, “Black Women: Are they Eatin’ Good or Getting Eaten Up?”
3:30 PM
Shae Parsons, Webster University, “Recentering Environmental Priorities”
Gabriella (Gabby) Olk, San Diego State University, “From Theory To Practice: A Psychological Approach to Public Policy and Contemporary Environmental Ethics”
Elspeth Furey, Webster University, “Grave Dangers, Natural Solutions: An Existential Argument for Green Burials”
Sky Krakos, Webster University, “Environmental Ethics and Xenophobia”
4:30 PM
Jonathan Hawley, University of Missouri, Kansas City, “Plato’s Understanding of Truth: Accounting for the Nuance of Fit”
Bangrui (Christoph) Chen, University of Pittsburgh, “Rivers and Waters: Does Heraclitus Claim that Everything Flows?”
Jacob Farris, Pennsylvania State University, “Aristotle’s Aspectual Ontology: The Fundamental Multiplicity of Being in Aristotle’s Metaphysics”
Thursday
Zoom link: https://webster-edu.zoom.us/j/95577522613
3 PM
Maria Walls, Webster University, “Reform, Replace, or Reject: The Complexities of Modern Marriage”
Julia Haralson, Webster University, “Evangelical Purity Culture as Religious Violence”
Jackson Maxwell, University of Pennsylvania, “The Psychological Criterion for Personhood & the Case for a Limited Right to Abortion”
4 PM
Reception (Zoom-style) hosted by the Webster University Philosophy Coalition
Zoom ID: 964 363 9106 Password: Philosophy
Friday
Zoom link (morning): https://webster-edu.zoom.us/j/93722029886
10 AM
Kole Phelps, Webster University, “Looting, Rioting, and Deconstructing Violence”
Jeremy McCauley, University of Maine at Farmington, “Perceptual Solution” (Merleau-Ponty)
Harrison Brennan, Pennsylvania State University, “The End of Authentic Future: Control Societies and their Impact on Dasein’s Temporal Unity”
11 AM
Sean R. McGimpsey, Kansas State University, “Business Ethics Pedagogy: Key Feature Analysis and Recommended Best Practices”
Julia Mazurek, Fordham University at Rose Hill, “A Defense of Aristotelean Ethics”
Raymond Peters, University of Delaware, “Kant and the Impermissibility of Lying”
12 noon
Lunch (on your own)
Zoom link (afternoon): https://webster-edu.zoom.us/j/93750616829
12:30 PM
Corey S.W. Sherman, University of Colorado Boulder, “Fission, Fusion, and Personal Identity”
Shreyas Sundar, Pennsylvania State University, “Exploring the Compatibility Between Randomness and Leibniz’s Principle of Sufficient Reason”
1:00 PM
Zak Miller, St. Louis Community College Meramec, “Unlocking the Potential of the Characteristica Universalis: An Exploration of Intrinsic Truths in Artistic Imagery”
Henry Mermer, The New School, “Instances of Parapraxis in Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles“
1:30 PM
Lillian Alexander, San Diego State University, “God’s Death and the Role Religion Plays in Evil: A College Student v. an Alien”
Michael Hanold, Pennsylvania State University, “Infinite Differentiation: Extrapolating from Ibn Sina’s Argument for God’s Singularity”
Joshua Doland, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), “What is Something than Which Nothing is Lesser – Evidently Not the Devil”
Frequently Asked Questions about submitting to the 2021 Conference
Do I have to be a philosophy major?
Nope. Ideas come to everyone, and sharing ideas is what this conference is all about. Students who are not majors or minors but who enjoy philosophical thinking in related disciplines, e.g. History, Sociology, Anthropology, Art, Psychology, International Human Rights, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Political Science, English, etc., are strongly encouraged to submit papers. Unsure about whether your paper is philosophical? Feel free to reach out to: submit@websterphilosophyconference.com
Why should I submit a paper?
- It’s a great opportunity to share your ideas and get feedback in a supportive environment
- It’s an impressive accomplishment to list on your resumé or C.V.
- It looks great on graduate school, law school, or medical school applications
- It can help you become a better writer and public speaker
- It can help prepare you for talking to potential employers about your ideas
What’s expected in a philosophy paper?
This page has some helpful hints.
- Your thesis should indicate your position, or what you plan to argue, not merely the general topic you plan to discuss.
- Try to avoid asking a question in order to make a point. When you ask, for example, “Why could it not be the case that X?” you have not yet established that X is the case.
- Throughout, or toward the end of your paper, consider, and then respond to, possible objections and alternatives to your argument.
- For the sake of inclusivity, please use gender neutral language and situate yourself as an author. You are encouraged to use “I” in order to clarify what you believe and to convince your readers of your beliefs.
Who will review my paper?
Submissions will be reviewed by undergraduate Webster University Philosophy majors
What is a panel?
A panel presentation consists of a small group of people (typically 3-4) gathered to share a variety of perspectives on a topic. We will try to organize panels that allow the ideas of the contributing students to connect with one another whether as mutual support, antitheses, alternate perspectives, or interdisciplinary allies.
What is the conference setting like?
- Students will be introduced by their peers, present their work for about 5 minutes, and then the audience and other panelists will ask questions and engage in discussion
- The conference aims to foster curiosity and to promote the exchange of ideas in a safe and supportive environment
- The conference will be entirely virtual for 2021
What are the guidelines for paper submissions?
- Proposals should be submitted no later than Sunday, March 28, 2021 to: submit@websterphilosophyconference.com
- Papers should be 7-10 pages long (double-spaced, 12-point font).
- Papers can be on any philosophical topic and may have been submitted for a previous class assignment
- Submissions should be anonymous: emails should contain the applicant’s name and the title of the paper, but no names or identifying information should be included on the attached paper itself (please be sure your name is not listed in the header either)
- Attachments should be in .pdf or.doc format (ideally)
15th Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference (2021)
The Webster University Undergraduate Philosophy Conference is now accepting papers for its virtual conference to be held on April 14th, 15th, and 16th, 2021. Papers should be about 7-10 pages and may be on any philosophical topic (broadly understood).
To make the most of this year’s virtual format, papers selected for presentation will be grouped into panels. Each panelist will offer a brief (five-minute) overview of their work, to be followed by discussion among the panelists and with the others in attendance. Depending on the number of panels organized, we anticipate panels from 3-5 PM on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as through the day Friday (all times CDT).
Please prepare your paper for blind review: the author’s name and other identifying information should not be included in the paper. Instead, give your name and college affiliation in the body of the e-mail message you send to submit the paper for review. A brief abstract is helpful but not required.
As this is an undergraduate conference, no papers by Ph.D.’s or graduate students will be accepted. Papers received by 11:59 PM (CDT) on Sunday, March 28 will be guaranteed consideration.
Submit your paper via email (any standard file type) to submit@websterphilosophyconference.com
For more information, please contact: Bruce Umbaugh, Professor of Philosophy bumbaugh@webster.edu