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CfA Summer School The Aim and Structure of Cosmological Theory (Lugano, Switzerland)

by events.isfi＠usi.ch

The Summer School The Aim and Structure of Cosmological Theory will take place at USI, Lugano (Switzerland) from 23 to 27 June 2025 and will be taught by Chris Smeenk (Western Ontario) and Jim Weatherall (UC Irvine). Deadline for applications: February 15, 2025 A number of challenging questions arise in contemporary cosmology, and philosophers can contribute constructively to answering them. In what sense is cosmology a “special case,” in terms of its aims, the nature of cosmological theories, or the ability to establish theories empirically? What, if anything, constrains theorizing about the early universe or regions of space and time that are beyond our observational ken? These and other questions will be tackled at the summer school, whose organizing theme is the forthcoming book by Smeenk & Weatherall The Aim and Structure of Cosmological Theory. How to apply: Application is open to graduate students and early career researchers. Please send a copy of your CV, a one-page motivation letter and a reference letter from a supervisor or colleague to summerschool.isfi(a)usi.ch<mailto:summerschool.isfi@usi.ch>. Accepted participants will have the possibility to send a short abstract for consideration to present some of their research at the summer school. More information and provisional schedule: usi.ch/cosmology<https://www.usi.ch/it/formazione/apprendimento-permanente/summer-winter-sch…> Any questions: summerschool.isfi(a)usi.ch<mailto:summerschool.isfi@usi.ch>

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Lugano Philosophy Colloquia (Hybrid)

by events.isfi＠usi.ch

We are pleased to announce that on Friday, November 29 at 17.30 (CET), Alain Pe-Curto (USI) will give the talk A Dilemma in Value as part of the Lugano Philosophy Colloquia Fall 2024 organised by the Institute of Philosophy (ISFI) at USI. This hybrid talk will take place in Room Multiuso, FTL Building (USI West Campus) and online via Zoom. If you are interested in joining online, please write to events.isfi(a)usi.ch. Here is the abstract of the talk: I argue that either value resembles familiar natural properties or value depends on natural properties but not both. For more information: https://www.ftl.usi.ch/it/feeds/14780

1 month

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Master in Philosophy (USI, Switzerland)

by events.isfi＠usi.ch

Are you passionate about metaphysics, philosophy of physics, logic, or philosophy of mind? The Master in Philosophy (MAP) at the University of Italian Switzerland could be the best way to pursue your academic ambitions! The MAP is a 2-year English-taught Research Master focused on preparing students for applying to the most demanding PhD Philosophy programmes worldwide. * Small interactive classes with outstanding professors<https://www.usi.ch/en/education/master/philosophy/professors> * Individual tutor for regular meetings, feedback, and academic guidance * Excellent PhD placement record * Generous merit-based scholarships and student assistant positions For more information about the MAP, visit usi.ch/map<http://usi.ch/map> or send an email to map(a)usi.ch<mailto:map@usi.ch>

1 month, 1 week

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Reminder: "Lugano Philosophy Colloquia"

by events.isfi＠usi.ch

Dear all, We are pleased to announce that on Friday, November 15 at 17.30 (CET), Sebastian Speitel (Bonn) will give the talk Securing Arithmetical Determinacy as part of the Lugano Philosophy Colloquia Fall 2024 organised by the Institute of Philosophy (ISFI) at USI. This hybrid talk will take place in Room Multiuso, FTL Building (USI West Campus) and online via Zoom. If you are interested in joining online, please write to events.isfi(a)usi.ch. Here is the abstract of the talk: The existence of non-standard models of first-order Peano-Arithmetic threatens to undermine the claim of the moderate mathematical realist that non-mysterious access to the natural number structure is possible on the basis of our best arithmetical theories. The move to logics stronger than FOL is denied to the moderate realist on the grounds that it merely shifts the indeterminacy “one level up” into the meta-theory by -- illegitimately -- assuming determinacy of the notions needed to formulate such logics. This paper argues that the challenge can be met by showing that the notion “infinitely many” is uniquely determinable in a naturalistically acceptable fashion and is thus available to the moderate realist in the formulation of a theory of arithmetic. If there is time, I will discuss how the approach can be extended to other important mathematical theories and compare it with Field's alternative proposal and the popular strategy of invoking a second-order formalism, arguing that it is more robust than either of these. For more information: https://www.ftl.usi.ch/it/feeds/14780

1 month, 1 week

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Keine Argumente - keine Gedichte - nur Zitate und Fragen oder wirres Zeug?

by Joseph Hipp

1 month, 1 week

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Lugano Philosophy Colloquia (Hybrid)

by events.isfi＠usi.ch

We are pleased to announce that on Friday, November 15 at 17.30 (CET), Sebastian Speitel (Bonn) will give the talk Securing Arithmetical Determinacy as part of the Lugano Philosophy Colloquia Fall 2024 organised by the Institute of Philosophy (ISFI) at USI. This hybrid talk will take place in Room Multiuso, FTL Building (USI West Campus) and online via Zoom. If you are interested in joining online, please write to events.isfi(a)usi.ch. Here is the abstract of the talk: The existence of non-standard models of first-order Peano-Arithmetic threatens to undermine the claim of the moderate mathematical realist that non-mysterious access to the natural number structure is possible on the basis of our best arithmetical theories. The move to logics stronger than FOL is denied to the moderate realist on the grounds that it merely shifts the indeterminacy “one level up” into the meta-theory by -- illegitimately -- assuming determinacy of the notions needed to formulate such logics. This paper argues that the challenge can be met by showing that the notion “infinitely many” is uniquely determinable in a naturalistically acceptable fashion and is thus available to the moderate realist in the formulation of a theory of arithmetic. If there is time, I will discuss how the approach can be extended to other important mathematical theories and compare it with Field's alternative proposal and the popular strategy of invoking a second-order formalism, arguing that it is more robust than either of these. For more information: https://www.ftl.usi.ch/it/feeds/14780

1 month, 2 weeks

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Reminder: "Lugano Philosophy Colloquia"

by events.isfi＠usi.ch

Dear all, We are pleased to announce that on Friday, October 25 at 17:30 (CEST), Karen Crowther (Oslo) will give the talk Why do we want a theory of quantum gravity? as part of the Lugano Philosophy Colloquia Fall 2024 organised by the Institute of Philosophy (ISFI) at USI. This hybrid talk will take place in Room Multiuso, FTL Building (USI West Campus) and online via Zoom. If you are interested in joining online, please write to events.isfi(a)usi.ch. Here is the abstract of the talk: Physicists have spent around a century searching for a new theory of fundamental physics, known as quantum gravity. In doing so, they've been predominately motivated by theoretical and philosophical concerns. If we are to better understand what the new theory is supposed to be like, we should critically examine these motivations and the way in which they serve to define and constrain the theory sought. Here, I briefly introduce and start to explore some of these motivations. For more information: https://www.ftl.usi.ch/it/feeds/14780

2 months

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Lugano Philosophy Colloquia (Hybrid)

by events.isfi＠usi.ch

Dear all, We are pleased to announce that on Friday, October 25 at 17:30 (CEST), Karen Crowther (Oslo) will give the talk Why do we want a theory of quantum gravity? as part of the Lugano Philosophy Colloquia Fall 2024 organised by the Institute of Philosophy (ISFI) at USI. This hybrid talk will take place in Room Multiuso, Faculty of Theology Building (USI West Campus) and online via Zoom. If you are interested in joining online, please write to events.isfi(a)usi.ch. Here is the abstract of the talk: Physicists have spent around a century searching for a new theory of fundamental physics, known as quantum gravity. In doing so, they've been predominately motivated by theoretical and philosophical concerns. If we are to better understand what the new theory is supposed to be like, we should critically examine these motivations and the way in which they serve to define and constrain the theory sought. Here, I briefly introduce and start to explore some of these motivations. For more information: https://www.ftl.usi.ch/it/feeds/14780

2 months

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Re: Zeitenlauf

by Karl Janssen

> Am 09.10.2024 um 15:56 schrieb waldemar hammel über PhilWeb <philweb(a)lists.philo.at>: > > ... > > brecht, mutter courage, sinngemäß: es ist garnicht einfach, die voraussetzungen eines krieges zu schaffen, und ihn dann mühsam in gang zu bringen, > und es ist noch schwieriger einen krieg zum nutzen der daran verdienenden am möglicht-lange-laufen zu halten, > denn kriege liefern ungehemmte spitzen-renditen > > deshalb auch heißt es, in genauer umkehrung des tatsächlichen "kriege brechen aus" (wie naturkatastrophen), statt "kriege werden des profits wegen vorsätzlich veranstaltet" „Der Krieg ist aller Dinge Vater“- diese überlieferte Aussage des Heraklit in ihrer verkürzten Form suggeriert gewissermaßen einen göttlichen Anspruch, nachdem vornehmlich der Krieg das schöpferische Instrumentarium sei, die Dinge dieser Welt zu schaffen. Das Zitat in Gänze bringt die Auswirkung von Kriegen auf den Menschen zum Ausdruck: „Der Krieg ist der Vater aller Dinge und der König aller. Die einen macht er zu Göttern, die anderen zu Menschen, die einen zu Sklaven, die andern zu Freien“ (Heraklit). Unbenommen einer gesicherten Historik dieses Zitats kann man unschwer dessen Gültigkeit erkennen, denn es waren immer die Nöte, wie auch die Bedürfnisse von Kriegen, resp. Kriegsführung, aus denen sich bedeutende technische Entwicklungen, wie gleichermaßen Kriegsgewinne, vornehmlich Landnahme ergeben haben. „Die Welt zu erobern, ist das eine, sie auf die Dauer zu beherrschen und ihren Frieden zu erhalten, ist das andere.“ Dieser Ausspruch des griechischen Feldherrn Polybios in abgewandelter Form besagt, dass es ein Leichtes sei, ein Land zu erobern, nicht jedoch die Herzen seiner Bewohner. Frieden vs. Krieg: Frieden würde „Schlamperei“ hervorbringen, hingegen Krieg die Ordnung“, so die Deutung des Soldatenwerbers in Brechts „ Mutter Courage“. Diese zur Marketenderin gewordene Soldatenmutter, die ihre tugendhaften Kinder im Krieg verliert, diesen - dank ihres skrupellosen Geschäftsinns - selbst jedoch überlebt, könnte zur Meinung anstiften, aus Kriegen materiellen Gewinn ziehen zu können. Sollte man tatsächlich daraus schließen, dass Kriege gewinnbringend sind oder letztlich nicht doch nur Verlustgeschäfte sind? Materielle Gewinne bei Verlust der Seelen? Brechts Theaterstück ist in seiner Anlage ambivalent, einerseits gesellschaftskritisch im dem Sinne, Krieg als Übel zu sehen, mit dem kein Handel zu treiben und letztlich immer ein Verlustgeschäft sei, wie andererseits dessen existentielle Deutung, wonach der Mensch unweigerlich der Realität des Lebens, nämlich dem Überlebenskampf und somit stets Auseinandersetzungen ausgeliefert ist, sei es in Friedens-, wie in Kriegszeiten. Dieser Überlebenskampf bedingt, sich mit der oftmals brutalen Lebenssituation zu arrangieren, die einen in der Art, sich zumindest das Nötigste zu beschaffen - die anderen, skrupellos aus (Not-)Situationen Gewinn zu schlagen. Notorische Gewinnzügler könnten daher durchaus motiviert sein, Notsituationen herbeizuführen; Ob jedoch jeder Krieg darauf zurückzuführen ist, darf bezweifelt werden, denn es ist immer auch der von Menschen nicht beherrschte Umgang mit der unausweichlichen Differenz, die jeglichem Leben innewohnt. Wenn Popper sagt, alles Leben ist Problemlösen, möchte ich präzisieren: Alles Leben ist das Vermögen, dessen unausweichliche Differenz zu begreifen und lebenserhaltend damit umzugehen. So kommt es in der Sicht auf Krieg und Frieden darauf an, in welcher Gesinnung Menschen fühlen und handeln, wissend, dass man stets am Rande, bisweilen inmitten eines zerstörerischen Lebens existiert - pure Entropie! Ein Leben, als Existenz schlechthin. Leben, das sich erst durch seine Sterblichkeit als solches erweist und stets auf’s Neue die ungeklärte Frage aufwirft, warum überhaupt Leben ist und vielmehr nicht Nichts. KJ

2 months, 1 week

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Reminder: "Lugano Philosophy Colloquia"

by events.isfi＠usi.ch

Dear all, We are pleased to announce that on Friday, October 11 at 17:30 (CEST), Joshua Babic (USI) will give the talk Space, modality and equivalence as part of the Lugano Philosophy Colloquia Fall 2024 organised by the Institute of Philosophy (ISFI) at USI. This hybrid talk will take place in Room Multiuso, Faculty of Theology Building (USI West Campus) and online via Zoom. If you are interested in joining online, please write to events.isfi(a)usi.ch. Here is the abstract of the talk: Does space or spacetime exist? Substantivalists say yes. Spacetime is an arena in which material objects are located and interact with each other. Relationists say no. Spacetime is nothing over and above a network of spatial relations between material objects. As pointed out by (Horwich 1978), (Field 1984) and others, relationism is at odds with our best physical theories: on the face of it, we can’t do physics without positing substantival space or spacetime. Relationists are therefore faced with the challenge of reformulating our best physical theories without quantifying over regions, points and the like. A natural reaction for a relationist is to try to meet this challenge by using the notion of possibility. In this talk, I will discuss three approaches to modal relationism and argue that they are all unsatisfactory. For more information: https://www.ftl.usi.ch/it/feeds/14780

2 months, 2 weeks

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