Penn Hosts Conference on Engaged Philosophy

In April of this year, philosophy graduate students Ben Baker, GR’19, Louise Daoust, GR’17, and Rob Willison, GR’17, launched a three-day conference on engaged philosophy, bringing together professors, graduate students, undergraduates, and high school students to talk about philosophy and its role in public life. Philosophy faculty members commented on original research papers written by Philadelphia public high school students engaged in Philadelphia Futures, a college readiness and success program, while other professional philosophers gave talks on how they have called upon their philosophical training to deal with problems in Rwanda, in national politics, and within local neighborhoods. Ira Harkavy, associate vice president and founding director of the Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships, also presented on the importance of bringing research to bear on real-life problems.

In addition, students at all levels participated in panel sessions with professors on the vital role that philosophy plays in addressing the daily challenges facing our local, national, and global communities. Zubaida Salman AlQaissi of Northeast High School in Philadelphia, who recently was accepted to Penn, says, “I don’t know where to begin when talking about the experience [of this conference], but every time I talk to someone, I catch myself unable to stop smiling. I’ve even said this past weekend was the climax of my life because of how great the experience was.”