This conference will investigate the relationship between practical and epistemic norms governing belief and other typically doxastic attitudes. Topics include epistemic teleology and consequentialism, whether rationality prescribes unique doxastic responses, whether there are any practical reasons for belief, and whether the language for practical evaluation fruitfully extends to epistemic evaluation.

Friday, February 19th
3:30 · Selim Berker, Harvard University, "A Combinatorial Argument against Practical Reasons for Belief." Comments by Anna Edmonds.

Saturday, February 20th
10:00 · Miriam Schoenfield, UT Austin, "Permissivism, Disagreement and the Value of Rationality." Comments by Kevin Blackwell.

1:30 · Ralph Wedgwood, USC, "Epistemic Teleology: Synchronic and Diachronic." Comments by Daniel Drucker.

4:00 · Nomy Arpaly, Brown University, "Epistemology: Notes from a Baffled Action Theorist." Comments by Sara Aronowitz.

Coordinated by Anna Edmonds, Daniel Drucker

The Department's graduate students organize an annual Spring Colloquium, featuring three speakers on a single topic or theme. Graduate student comments on each talk. The Department has hosted more than twenty Spring Colloquia since the first weekend program in 1990.

The Spring Colloquium is funded by the James B. and Grace J. Nelson Endowment for the Teaching of Philosophy.