On March 6, 2024, Elizabeth Jackson of Toronto Metropolitan University visited SUNY Brockport as part of the Center of Philosophic Exchange. Jackson discussed the paradox “Can atheists have faith?” focusing on one of her research interests, the nature of belief.
Each year, the Director of the Center of Philosophic Exchange, currently Assistant Professor of Philosophy Heather Rabenberg, invites three to four philosophers to give a talk, engage with the community in a Q+A, and then publish the talk as an article made available to everyone online.
“Philosophy is best done in a group because you can be challenged by others to sharpen your ideas,“ Rabenberg said. “This is our ‘lab.’ It is our chance to engage with other minds and get closer to the truth.”
This is our ‘lab.’ It is our chance to engage with other minds and get closer to the truth.
Heather Rabenberg
1967-68 was the International Year of Philosophy, a time when SUNY Brockport stepped into the international spotlight by inviting 70 of the world’s most distinguished philosophers to campus. The philosophers took part in a series of 14 conferences devoted to different areas of philosophy.
“Brockport was hosting a philosophy conference every two weeks with some of the most well-known philosophers at the time,” said Chair of Philosophy Joseph Long. “All the conferences were turned into publications that were delivered in a four-volume set.”
The international impact led to the SUNY Chancellor at the time, Samuel B. Gould, to establish the Center of Philosophic Exchange, housed by SUNY Brockport’s Department of Philosophy.
“A common misconception is that philosophy is old and stuffy. These talks give people a chance to see cutting edge research is still happening in the field,” said Rabenberg. “It gives our students and community a chance to engage with timeless questions in new ways.”
Why Be Rational?
On April 4, 2024, Ram Neta from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will build up an answer to the question “What’s wrong with being irrational?” The talk will be followed by an hour-long Q+A on the topic.