Current
February, 2016
Research seminar series: Philosophy in Africa, Africa in Philosophy
Over the course of 2016, the Philosophy Department is hosting (jointly with the Centre for African Studies at UCT) a weekly series of academic research seminars called "Philosophy in Africa, Africa in Philosophy". This series aims to explore the role which academic philosophy can play in solving problems specific to Africa, including South Africa, and the role which indigenous African traditions of thought and practice can play in enriching the academic discipline of philosophy. Each week a speaker—from UCT, from another South African university, or from abroad—will present a paper, followed by general discussion. Titles of papers being presented in the first semester of 2016 include:
- African Philosophy and Nonhuman Nature
- Is Philosophy Restricted by Its Language?
- Madness, Faith, Roots: Grounding Philosophy in, of and for Africa
- Making Sense of Survivor’s Guilt: Why It Is Justified by an African Ethic
- Decolonizing Bioethics via African Philosophy
- Who Can Say What?
The series is convened by Prof Lungisile Ntsebeza (African Studies) and Dr George Hull (Philosophy). Academics and postgraduate students are invited to attend the seminars in this series. Though there will be a strong philosophical focus, interdisciplinary perspectives on the seminar topics will be welcomed. For more information, see the seminar series’ webpage: www.africanstudies.uct.ac.za/cas/events/2016/philosophy_in_africa. Please send any inquiries to PhilosophyinAfrica@gmail.com. Twitter-users wishing to continue discussion of the seminar topics electronically are invited to use hash-tag #PhilosophyInAfrica.
Anna Hartford awarded UCT Research Associateship
July 2014
Anna Hartford, a PhD student in the Philosophy Department, has been awarded a UCT Research Associateship for 2014. Congratulations to Anna.
Social Equality Conference: 15-17 August 2014
Philosophy of Race - a new undergraduate course
April 2014
The Department of Philosophy is extending its course offering in 2014 with the introduction of Philosophy of Race. This new second year course will be introduced as a second semester module in July 2014.
The course, which will be taught by Dr. George Hull, will engage with issues in the philosophy of race, with a central focus on questions raised by the contemporary situation in South Africa, including: Morally speaking, does most of the Western Cape actually belong to the Khoisan? Does being indigenous (if that concept makes sense) give you certain moral rights? Has the achievement of legal equality liberated black people, or would true liberation require the rediscovery of a distinctive identity? What special responsibilities (if any) do formerly advantaged groups have today?
As part of the first offering of the course, students will benefit from visiting international experts who include Professor Charles W Mills (Northwestern University) author of classics of The Philosophy of Race including: The Racial Contract and Blackness Visible. Mills will guest-lecture while he is here for the Social Equality Conference hosted by the Philosophy Department from 15-17 August 2014. Professor Miranda Fricker (University of Sheffield) will also lecture students. Her ideas of epistemic injustice will be drawn on in the course as part of a philosophical engagement with the Black Consciousness Movement.
For more information on this and other Philosophy course, contact the Department or consult the undergraduate course pages on this website: /philosophy/undergraduate/courses#2045
Elisa Galgut re-elected President of the PSSA
January 2014
At its recent Annual General Meeting, Dr Elisa Galgut was elected for a second term as President of the Philosophical Association of Southern Africa. Dr Tom Angier was elected to the Executive Committee.
The PPE Colloquium: Invitation to the UCT community
September 2013
The fourth annual PPE Humanities Colloquium will be held on Friday 20 September from 1pm to 3pm. While the colloquium is planned specifically for undergraduate PPE students in the Humanities, it is open to everyone in the UCT community.
The colloquium has two components: student talks, (followed by an announcement of the new PPE essay competition), and guest lecture by Gareth van Onselen. UCT students and staff are welcome to attend either or both of these components.
The full programme is attached here.
Cindy Gilbert and LizGubb Ace SecondXhosa course
December 2012
Cindy Gilbert and Liz Gubb, the department's administrators, scored (respectively) 89% and 92% for Xhosa Communication 1B, a semester long course offered by the African Languages and Literatures Section of the School of Languages and Literatures at UCT.
Jeremy Wanderer wins Distinguished Teachers Award
November 2012
Jeremy Wanderer is the recipient of a 2012 Distinguished Teachers Award from UCT. Read more...
Elisa Galgut inspires better treatment of baboons
August 2012
Dr Elisa Galgut, Senior Lecturer in the Department and former Chair of the Senate Animal Ethics Committee has been duly credited for inspiring UCT's decision to relocate research baboons to a sanctuary in the Limpopo province. Read more...
Kyle Blumberg awarded UCT Research Associateship
July 2012
Kyle Blumberg, a second year Masters student in the Philosophy Department, has been awarded a UCT Research Associateship for 2012. Congratulations to Kyle.
Cindy Gilbert and Liz Gubb Ace Xhosa course
June 2012
Cindy Gilbert and Liz Gubb, the department's administrators, scored (respectively) 90% and 92% for Xhosa Communication 1A, a semester long course offered by the African Languages and Literatures Section of the School of Languages and Literatures at UCT.
Bernhard Weiss delivers inaugural lecture
May 2012
Bernhard Weiss delivered his inaugural professorial lecture on 16 May 2012. Read more...
Philosophy Department has moved
February 2012
The Philosophy Department moved to new premises on Monday 6 February. You can now find us in our new location: Room 3.03, Humanities Building, University Avenue.
Elisa Galgut elected President of PSSA
January 2012
Elisa Galgut is the new President of the Philosophical Society of Southern Africa. She was elected at the Society's Annual General Meeting, which was held during the annual conference of the PSSA.
PPE Essay Competition 2011-2012
November 2011
The Humanities Faculty has provided a total of R1000 in prize money. The judges – Greg Fried and Andre Hofmeyr, the members of the PPE Humanities Committee – will award the prize, or prizes, based on essay quality and perhaps student seniority. There may (for example) be just one prize, or prizes for first to third place, or prizes for students in first to third year of their undergraduate degree at the date of submission. The distribution of prizes will depend on the entries we receive.
The details of the essay competition are attached here.
The PPE Colloquium: Invitation to the UCT community
September 2011
The second annual PPE Humanities Colloquium will be held on Friday 30 September from 1pm to 3:45pm. While the colloquium is planned specifically for undergraduate PPE students in the Humanities, it is open to everyone in the UCT community.
The colloquium has three components: student talks, careers discussion over lunch (followed by an announcement of the new PPE essay competition), and guest lecture. UCT students and staff are welcome to attend any or all of these components. The colloquium has been generously sponsored by the Humanities Faculty, and lunch is free of charge to attendees.
The full programme is attached here.
Jessica Lerm and Jenni Sinclaire awarded UCT Research Associateships
June 2011
Two postgraduate students in the Philosophy Department have been awarded UCT Research Associateships for 2011. Congratulations to Jessica Lerm, who began her PhD this year, and to Jenni Sinclaire, who is in the second year of her Masters. Read more...
Meritorious publication award for Jeremy Wanderer
June 2011
Jeremy Wanderer has won a UCT meritorious publication award for his book Robert Brandom (Acumen, 2008).
Two promotions
November 2010
Two members of the Philosophy Department have been promoted ad hominem.
Bernhard Weiss has been promoted to Professor and JackRitchie has been promoted to Senior Lecturer.
Foundations in Philosophy programme featured in Social Responsiveness Report
October 2010
The Foundations in Philosophy programme was featured in the University of Cape Town’s 2009 Social Responsiveness Report. The feature can be read here.
New books by Bernhard Weiss and Jeremy Wanderer
May 2010
Bernhard Weiss and Jeremy Wanderer have co-edited Reading Brandom on Making it Explicit, published by Routledge.
Bernhard Weiss also authored How to Understand Language: A Philosophical Inquiry, which was recently published by Acumen.