Thursday Seminar -- Today (30th October)

[n.osma...@gmail.com]

Hello Everyone,

Later today, the Thursday Seminar Series welcomes Tim Scriven. The talk will be in the RSSS Auditorium (room 1.28). Title and abstract are below. 

Other events in the day include: 

- A grads-only pre-talk session with the speaker in room 6.68 at 2:00pm;

- Afternoon tea in the School of Philosophy tearoom at 3:00pm;

- Drinks at Badger & Co at 5:00pm;

- Dinner at TBD at 6:30pm (put your name down here if you would like to join).

Title: Left-wing is best wing? The meaning and justification of political orientation.

 

Abstract: Political philosophers rarely analyse the categories of “left” and “right” in their own right, yet these labels structure much of public political debate. This talk, framed as a response to Joshi’s 2020 paper, What Are the Chances You’re Right About Everything? An Epistemic Challenge for Modern Partisanship, considers three questions. First, is there a shared justificatory and motivational core that unifies otherwise disparate left-wing (and right-wing) positions? Second, if such a core exists, can one be justified in endorsing a political orientation as such, rather than only particular policies? Third, are there arguments that favour the left, considered as a family of positions, beyond case-by-case evaluations? I argue (1) that there is a common justificatory and motivational basis across standard left positions; (2) that this basis supplies moral reasons to align with the left and makes it more likely than not that left positions will be correct on a randomly selected political question; and (3) that engaging these orientation-level questions can reconnect political philosophy with the concerns of practical politics.

[Note: All visitors (faculty, graduate students, undergraduates) are welcome to join for dinner. Faculty dine at a rate of ~$30.00 AUD, and graduate students and undergraduates at a rate of roughly $15.00 AUD.]

See you all there.

Best,

Osman.

[n.osma...@gmail.com]

Update: Dinner will be at Lemongrass Thai.