Philosophy Commons^™

Evolution As Spatial Projection, Charles H. Smith, Ngoc Nguyen

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

A theory combining explanations for the nature of three-dimensional systems and evolutionary processes is advanced, set to a geometric simulation, and then discussed in the context of several empirical studies bearing on its validity. The concept “evolution” is first discussed, then related to Baruch de Spinoza’s ideas on natural philosophy, including his concept of the conatus. These ideas are then extended by posing the possible existence of a general form of natural systems subsystemization leading to the extended space condition. A geometrical/topological simulation study projecting spatial relations among subsystem structures interpretable through entropy maximization and multidimensional scaling methods is presented, …

Social Murder, Marissa Jackson Sow

Washington and Lee Law Review

In recent years, variations on Engels’s concept of social murder have been adopted into British legal and sociological lexicons to conceptualize the state’s reckless sacrifices of its most vulnerable populations—people deemed socially undesirable, legally undeserving, and economically redundant. The state allows these populations to die a multitude of deaths by failing to protect them; notably, victims of social murder are relegated to society’s underclasses, if not completely excluded from the body politic, before they are physically eliminated. Social murder is neither genocide nor ethnic cleansing; instead, social murder captures the elimination of groups of people via atrocious events for which …

How Theists Can Answer The “Why Be Moral?” Question: An Indirect Reason-Generation Account, Justin Morton

Politics, Philosophy, and Law Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, I give a new type of theistic answer to the “Why be moral?” question. After briefly clarifying the version of the question I'm concerned with, as well as extant theistic answers to the question, I argue for a new kind of answer. Roughly, while on standard answers, future (post death) benefits directly generate present reason to be moral, on my view, they only do so indirectly. On my view, we only have present reason to be moral because we will have reason to be moral in the afterlife. I propose a principle of reason inheritance that would …

Neurophenomenology: A Research Method Combining Neuroscience And Philosophy, Jonas Lokensgard

Posters - 2026

Neurophenomenology – Cognitive Sciences + Phenomenology Phenomenology – the study of consciousness (basically just how you experience things) Cognitive Sciences – The study of the functional processes of the mind, and the operations of the brain that enable these processes to be performed. (“Cognitive Science” 2004)

A Phenomenology On The Possibility Of Freedom, Grounded In The Lifeworld, Sheldon T. White

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

The work here is aimed at three primary goals. The first is largely exegetical and focuses on explicating Edmund Husserl’s phenomenological analysis of the intentional process which constitutes our empathic experience of other people. This is relevant because phenomenology’s capacity to examine intersubjectivity depends on the validity of the pairing association put forth by Husserl in section 51 of the Cartesian Meditations. I accomplish this by analyzing not only the sections in the Cartesian Meditations where Husserl makes his case, but also by engaging with his previous works, upon which his analysis of the pairing association depends. The second goal …

Bioengineering The Future Of The Human Species: H+’S Ideological Iterations Of Trans-/Posthumanity As Exemplified By Futurist Literary Texts = (Bio)Technological Solutions For (And/Or) Reification Of Systemic Inequities?, Marjorie E. Bomhower

English Theses & Dissertations

While humanity has, throughout our species’ history, endeavored to dream and create astonishing, and ever-evolving, (bio)technologies with the utopian ideals of bettering our day-to day lives and achieving greater longevity, our endeavors have (thus far) not only produced remarkable, beneficial advances in longevity and quality of life, but have also yielded devastating and dire outcomes; often at the cost and victimization of marginalized communities. This dissertation focuses on select (bio)technologies – particularly, those promoted by H+ (the most current and popular technoutopianist non-profit, “educational,” organization) – with an investigation of current and nascent (bio)technological evolutions, futurist literary texts, and critical/digital …

Gregor Samsa’S Pagkagimata (Awakening) In Bikol: A Becoming-Minor In Translation, Victor John M. Loquias

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

Kristian Cordero’s translation of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis instantiates what the philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari call minor literature. Preferring the Bikol term Pagkagimata—the literal event of Gregor Sama’s becoming-animal in the novel as title of the translation and the utilization of the Rinconada Bikol language for the transformed Samsa—Cordero has typified a perspective of translation that challenges the popular view of fluent translation from the source text to the target language. Exemplifying the concept of becoming-minor of Deleuze and Guattari and deploying Lawrence Venuti’s notion of the “remainder,” An Pagkagimata ni Gregor Samsa exhibits a deterritorialization of Bikol …

Sapientia Ex Machina: Engaging Ai As A Meaning-Making Tool For Philosophical Practice, Austin M. Pritchett

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This paper sets out to examine whether a Large Language Model can serve as a genuine interlocutor in philosophical inquiry. With a grounding in the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and in conversation with other works in philosophy on AI, language, and the mind, the author determines the extent to which an AI's contributions to conversation can be said to participate in understanding and meaning-making rather than merely simulate it, thereby making evident the extent to which it is useful in philosophical practice.

On The Scientific Stature Of Data Science: The Epistemological Unicorn, Ernest Fokoue

Articles

Data Science has ignited unprecedented academic, industrial, and pedagogical fervor, yet its status as a \textit{science} in the classical sense---comparable to physics or biology---remains profoundly unsettled. This article interrogates the epistemological foundations of Data Science by examining its hybrid theoretical lineage, from the Universal Approximation Theorem to the No-Free-Lunch Theorems, with special emphasis on the fundamental Bayesian optimality results for both regression and classification. We argue that Data Science is in a vigorous \textit{gestational period}, characterized not by an absence of principles but by a creative tension between empirical pragmatism and deep mathematical theory. The Cross-Validation score emerges as the …

Sun-Tzuian Critique Of The Russian Strategy In Its War Against Ukraine, Eduard Vicuna

Mabini Review

This study examines the effectiveness of Russian military strategy in the Ukraine war through the lens of Sun-Tzu’s strategic philosophy. Grounded in Sun-Tzu’s principles of warfare, the study evaluates Russian strategy using five key elements: Leader Values, People’s Belief, Mitigation, Environment, and Information. Employing a qualitative methodology, the research analyzes military decisions and tactics based on these strategic dimensions. Findings indicate that while Russia initially relied on deception and overwhelming force, its failure to achieve a swift victory stemmed from flawed planning, underestimated Ukrainian resistance, and logistical challenges. The study highlights the critical role of intelligence, adaptability, and psychological warfare, …

Pagtatahip: Doing Filipino Philosophy, Bernard Bragas

Mabini Review

This paper explains that the way Filipinos were molded cause paradoxes and ambiguities in the way we philosophize. It is then necessary to do pagtatahip (to winnow, as a way of nuancing) for a Filipino Philosophy. This is evident in the philosophical elucidation in the concept of loob by Fr. Alejo In this kind of nuancing, it is evident that Filipino concepts are not outrightly contradictory and not just deliberate acceptance of contradictories. The concept winnowed allows constructing a liberating Philosophy appropriate for a Filipino Philosophy.

Teksto Ni Danton Remoto Bilang Kontra-Diskurso Laban Sa Homopobikong Kamalayan, Marielle Clave Gidalanga

Mabini Review

Danton Remoto is known as one of the prominent writers who greatly contributed to Philippine gay literature. His texts may be considered as effective instruments for challenging and dismantling repressive homophobic consciousness that has been deeply rooted in our culture and society. Thus, selected texts by Remoto were examined as gay literature and as counter-discourse that presents metanarratives vis-à-vis the condemnation of prevailing homophobic consciousness in the Philippines. Using thematic and close reading approach in 16 selected essays from his three collections – Buhay Bading (2004), Rampa: Mga Sanaysay (2008) and Bright, Catholic, and – Gay (2011), four counter-discursive strategies …

Limit Of Labels: Examining The ‘Masc’ And ‘Femme’ Labels In Wlw Relationships Through Judith Butler’S Theory Of Performativityauthors, Nikky Garo

Mabini Review

Judith Butler’s theory of performativity emphasizes the idea that gender is constructed through a series of repeated acts. Within this framework, labels such as ‘masc’ and ‘femme’ can play a role in shaping gender identity and expression, especially in womenloving- women (WLW) relationships. Even though queerness is famously understood as a space for challenging gender norms, and WLW relationships to that extension should be a site for gender fluidity, the use of these labels in WLW relationships can reinforce patriarchal structures by replicating binary gender expressions. The act of labeling oneself or one’s partner as ‘masc’ or ‘femme’ is evidence …

Self-Surrendering Love: Initial Musings On Karuna And Caritas, Wesley Kim Soguilon

Mabini Review

he paper explores and exposes the connections between the Buddhist virtue Karuna and the Christian virtue Caritas. Employing a text-based analysis approach, the paper argues that both Karuna and Caritas have intersections, though their origins and inherent development in each religious tradition differ. After the exploration and exposition, it is found out that both virtues may be considered expressions of self-surrendering love whereby a faithful person sets aside oneself for the greater or common good, much more the good of the other. This is exemplified by the Bodhisattvas and the Saints, two interesting religious figures in Buddhism and Christianity, respectively.

Bodies Will Be Bodies?: A Case For Legitimate Body Objectiveness, Renz Villacampa

Mabini Review

Confined in spatiotemporal structures and relations, the body is caught in the linearity of economic production and the rigidity of ideological imperatives. In this setup, the objectiveness of the body is suspected of putting a person to a limit. This further interrogates and accuses the body of facilitating its own objectification. Here, I challenged prominent objections to the objectiveness of the body, particularly those coming from Marcel and the early/material feminist traditions. I then put forward a case in which the active-operative instrumentalization of the body is legitimized sans discounting the body as an addendum or mere physical extension. Further, …

Learning Spaces, Others And Self: The “I—Learning” Experience Of Philosophy Students In Achieving Learning Competencies In A Pandemic, Mark Gatus

Mabini Review

Academic programs set learning competencies as essential standards to ensure that students acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and values. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) prescribed the competencies for the AB Philosophy Program through CMO No. 26 s. 2017, which includes the ability to demonstrate critical and logical thinking, construct cogent arguments, engage analytically and interpretively with philosophical texts, develop research and academic writing skills, apply philosophical theories to concrete situations, and critically evaluate the essence of philosophical learning in relation to the True, the Good, and the Just. However, the teaching-learning process was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising …

Wikang Filipino At Ang Diskurso Ng Kasarian: Ang Misgendering Kay Jude Bacalso Bilang Salamin Ng Panlipunang Pananaw, Ignatius Vinzons

Mabini Review

The absence of grammatical gender in Filipino pronouns and some nouns has led some to claim that the Filipino language is gender neutral. However, cases of misgendering are undeniably present in our society. If the Filipino language is truly gender-neutral, how does misgendering occur in our context? This paper discusses the concept of misgendering, examines some of its examples in the Philippine context, and revisits literature on the supposed gender-neutrality of the Filipino language. It then analyzes the case of Jude Bacalso, a transgender woman who became a topic of public discourse on social media in July 2024 due to …

Profane Language: On The Philosophy Of Cursing In The Contemporary Era, Billy Jan Puerta

Mabini Review

Politeness is a foundational virtue, instilled from an early age, that fosters human connections and societal engagement. This virtue underscores the tremendous relationship between language and courtesy, highlighting the values of respect in interaction within the community fabric. Language's nature, as a reflection of culture, community, and identity, is analyzed, revealing its capacity to uphold or erode these societal pillars. Despite its potential as a pillar of politeness, profane language presents an ironical contradiction. Profane language mo, mostly known as cursing, emerges as a cultural taboo, marked by its aggressive and often deemed inappropriate nature. This paper dives into why …

Quantum Superpositions Of Conscious States In A Minimal Integrated Information Model, Kelvin J. Mcqueen, Ian T. Durham, Markus P. Müller

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Could there be quantum superpositions of conscious states, as suggested by the Wigner’s friend thought experiment? Mathematical theories of consciousness, notably integrated information theory (IIT), make this question more precise by associating physical systems with both quantitative amounts of consciousness and structural characterizations of conscious states. Motivated by a recent proposal that ties wave-function collapse to integrated information, we construct a simple quantum circuit that would, on that proposal, place a minimal system—a feedback dyad—into a superposition of states that differ in their associated conscious states. This “Schrödinger’s dyad” provides a controlled setting for evaluating a central desideratum of consciousness-based …

Komparatibong Analisis Sa Estetikong Danas Na Hatid Ng Koreanobela At Filipinobela Ayon Sa Mga Pilipinong Manonood, Christine Morit

Mabini Review

The paper highlights a thorough discussion of the vast influence and prominence of Korean dramas (Koreanobela) in the Philippines, which has become a central focus among critics in the discourse of film and television. Their rise in popularity has fostered an appreciation for both local and foreign spaces that continue to shape and influence Filipino culture. Although the importation of films from Latin American countries—an influence rooted in Spanish colonization—is not new in the Philippines, the unparalleled appeal of Korean dramas in capturing the attention of Filipino audiences cannot be denied. To identify the reasons behind this fascination, the researcher …

A Case Against Pragmatic Encroachment, Mahali Kuzyk

Global Tides

In their paper, Evidence, Pragmatics, and Justification Fantl and McGrath offer a seemingly intuitive and attractive route to a revision of what counts as epistemic justification and knowledge. They argue that knowledge is not just a matter of evidence, but depends in part on one’s practical situation. Higher stakes and different utilities can change whether a belief is knowledge-constituting. This essay will argue that Fantl and McGrath’s attempt to use their Knowledge-Action principle (KA) to back pragmatic encroachment ultimately fails.

Epochs Vol. 1 No. 2025 - Full Issue, Emma Pfannenstiel

Epochs Art History Journal

No abstract provided.

Madeleine Stegman: Elegant Juxtapositions Through The Creative Process, Claire Brown

Epochs Art History Journal

No abstract provided.

Tokio Ueyama: Japanese American Artist, Hannah E. Tinkel

Epochs Art History Journal

No abstract provided.

The Artist As Sorcerer: A Critical Analysis Of David Lomas’ Essay, Antoni Miquel

Epochs Art History Journal

No abstract provided.

The Veiled And The Idealized: Class, Gender, And Realism In Flavian Roman Portraiture, Elli Brandt

Epochs Art History Journal

No abstract provided.

Lessons From The Louvre, Claire Brown

Epochs Art History Journal

No abstract provided.

From Studio To Stage: The Real Dancer Who Inspired Degas And The Lasting Impact Of The Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, Khendal Wimberly

Epochs Art History Journal

No abstract provided.

Don’T Lose Your Head: Judith, Salome, And The Bible’S Femme Fatale Problem, Addison Speier

Epochs Art History Journal

No abstract provided.

The Core-Modulation Architecture (Cma): A Structural Overview Of A 14-Paper Research Program (Preprint), Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

This document provides a structural overview of the Core-Modulation Architecture (CMA), a 14-paper research program on cognition, communication, and AI interaction.

The series specifies the conditions under which cognition operates, terminates, fails, and generates structure. Rather than describing cognition by its contents (beliefs, emotions, decisions), it defines cognition through its underlying architecture: constraint-governed processing across layers with distinct termination conditions.

The framework introduces a layered model consisting of Core processing (constraint preservation and structural coherence) and Modulation (affective calibration and social interface adjustment), extended by a Prior layer as the source of constraints. Across the series, phenomena such as miscommunication, …