On Truth in Politics: Why Democracy Demands It

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Michael Patrick Lynch, Author

Princeton University Press, 2025

Do any of us really care about truth when it comes to politics? Should we? In a world of big lies, denialism, and conspiracy theories, democracies are experiencing two interlocked crises: a loss of confidence in democracy itself and the growing sense among many that politics is only about power—not truth. In this book, Michael Patrick Lynch argues that truth not only can—but must—matter in politics. He shows why truth is an essential democratic value—a value we need to sustain our democratic way of life—and how it can be strengthened.

Despite evidence that people are rarely motivated by truth when it comes to politics, On Truth in Politics argues that this isn’t inevitable. Accessibly written and rigorously argued, it draws on the American pragmatist tradition to develop an original theory of the nature and value of truth in the messy world of politics. Contrary to the belief of many, political beliefs can be true or false. But if democracy is to continue to be a space of reason and not just an arena of power, we must build a better infrastructure of knowledge, including stronger schools and media, and renew our commitment to science and history.

A vital and timely book, On Truth in Politics makes an original case for why democracy cannot survive without truth.

Book cover of Michael Lynch's book On Truth In Politics: Why Democracy demands it

Ting-an Lin: Common Curriculum Grant

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Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Philosophy Ting-an Lin, whose two new course proposals, “Markets, Ethics, and Society” and “Ethics of Technology and Engineering,” were recently awarded the new Common Curriculum Grant. This grant supplies funding to faculty members who are creating courses that will be implemented into the new Common Curriculum for Leadership and Global Citizenship.

 

The Common Curriculum program, slated for a Fall 2025 introduction, provides students with a foundation for future learning. Ensuring that all students at the University of Connecticut are literate in many different types of knowledge, the Common Curriculum allows for students to enter society with a strong sense of moral and social responsibility.

Jane Gordon: “Creolising the State?”

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We are thrilled to share that our affiliated faculty member and Professor in Political Science, Jane Gordon, has recently published an article titled “Creolising the State?” in Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory. This prestigious journal is one of the top publications in the field, both in South Africa and globally.

You can read the article here: Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Gordon on this incredible achievement!

Dorit Bar-On: APA 2025 Pacific Division Meeting

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At this year’s APA Pacific Division Meeting, Professor of Philosophy Dorit Bar-On will be holding an Author Meets Critics session on her recently published book, Expression and Self-Knowledge. This book, co-authored by Crispin Wright, was published as part of Wiley-Blackwell’s Great Debates in Philosophy series. An excerpt from the book’s description can be found below:

In Expression and Self-Knowledge, Dorit Bar-On and Crispin Wright articulate their joint dissatisfaction with extant accounts of self-knowledge and engage in a sustained and substantial critical debate over the merits of an expressivist approach to the topic. The authors incorporate cutting-edge research while defending their own alternatives to existing approaches to so-called ‘first-person privilege’.

In addition, one of our incredible graduate students, Michael Hegarty, has also been invited to chair the session.

The meeting will be held in San Francisco, California starting on April 16th and through April 19th.

Congratulations, Dorit and Michael!

Enroll Today! Seats Available in Logic II and Paradoxes

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Keith Simmons

Students have two opportunities to study with Professor Keith Simmons in Spring 2025! Check out the descriptions below for PHIL 3214: Symbolic Logic II and PHIL 3298: Paradoxes. Interested? Sign up today in Student Admin or contact Dr. Simmons to request the syllabus. 

PHIL 3214: Symbolic Logic II

This is a course in modal logic, the logic of possibility and necessity. We will study propositional and quantified modal logic. We will study a variety of modal systems from both the semantic and the proof-theoretic points of view. We will also study the metalogic of these systems.

As time allows, we’ll go on to explore modal logic in three directions: (i) further topics in quantified modal logic, (ii) applications, and (iii) philosophical issues.

Our main text for the course is A New Introduction to Modal Logic, by G.E. Hughes and M.J. Cresswell (henceforth H&C).

The core of the course

  • Review of propositional logic.
  • The basic modal notions: L, M, validity, the modal game (H&C, Chapter 1).
  • The systems K, T and D (H&C, Chapter 2).
  • The systems S4, B, S5, Triv and Ver (H&C, Chapter 3).
  • Review of the predicate calculus (H&C, Chapter 13, pp.235-243).
  • The modal predicate calculus (H&C, Chapter 13, pp.243-255).

Further topics in quantified modal logic

  • Expanding domains   (H&C, Chapter 15).
  • Modality and existence   (H&C, Chapter 16).
  • Identity and descriptions   (H&C, Chapter 17).
  • Intensional objects    (H&C, Chapter 18).
  • Further issues: multiple indexing, counterpart theory (H&C, Chapter 19)

Applications

  • Possible world semantics in the philosophy of language.
  • Counterfactuals

Philosophical issues

  • The problem of interpreting quantified modal logic (‘quantifying in’).
  • The metaphysics of modality: the ontological status of possible worlds.
  • The interpretation of two-dimensional semantics.
  • The epistemology of modality: imagination, conceivability, and possibility.

 

PHIL 3298: Paradoxes

This is a Philosophy course about paradoxes. Paradoxes have been a driving force in Philosophy since the 5th Century B.C.E. They force us to rethink old ideas and conceptions. Plato and Aristotle famously said that Philosophy begins in wonder - and they had in mind the kind of deep puzzlement that paradoxes generate.

In this seminar, we will study a wide range of paradoxes: Zeno's paradoxes about space, time and motion, moral paradoxes, Sorites paradoxes about vagueness (such as the paradox of the heap), paradoxes of rationality (Newcomb's paradox and the Prisoner's dilemma), paradoxes of belief (including paradoxes of confirmation, and the surprise examination paradox), paradoxes about time travel, and logical paradoxes (Russell's paradox about classes and the Liar paradox about truth).

As we explore these paradoxes, we will wrestle with some central philosophical questions: What is the nature of space, time, and motion? Are there genuine moral dilemmas? Is the world a fully determinate place? What is it to act rationally? When is a belief justified? Are the foundations of mathematics secure? What is the nature of truth?

The paradoxes are not just important - they are fun too. They encourage us to think creatively, in new and surprising ways. In this seminar, you will be given the opportunity to tackle the paradoxes yourselves, through group discussions and frequent written assignments. Philosophy is best viewed as a practice, as something that one does. By actively engaging with the paradoxes, both orally and in your written work, you will develop the intellectual skills that make philosophical progress possible.

Interdisciplinary Workshop on Human Centered AI: How do we Connect?

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Interdisciplinary Workshop on Human Centered AI: How do we Connect?

 

January 13, 2024

8 am-12:15 pm US Eastern Standard Time/2 pm-6 pm Morocco Time

Register here

 

This half-day virtual workshop between the Université Internationale de Rabat and the University of Connecticut will bring computer scientists into conversation with political scientists, philosophers in dialogue with medical professionals. We believe that human-centered AI will only be possible when humans from a truly diverse array of perspectives, backgrounds, and disciplinary training are involved in designing and deploying these powerful tools.

Our workshop will cluster around three complementary themes:

 

8:15-9:15  am               

Panel 1) Interdisciplinary Work in AI: Challenges, Opportunities and Successes

Panelists will provide case studies of successful projects. What worked well? What are the obstacles to interdisciplinary collaboration, and how might we navigate them?

What do computer scientists need from humanists to better do their work? What are humanists missing/misunderstanding about AI development?

Panelists

Anke Finger, LCL and Digital Media and Design, UConn
Ihsane Hmamouchi, Rheumatology, Université Internationale de Rabat

Arash Zaghi ,Civil Engineering, UConn

 

9:20-10:20 am                              

Panel 2) Language and AI

How is bias introduced through exclusive language model training? How do we include more language diversity in AI training? How do chatbots alter our language?

Panelists

Kyle Booten, English, UConn

Reda Mokhtar El Ftouh, Law,  Université Internationale de Rabat
Adil Bahaj, Biomedicine and AI, Université Internationale de Rabat

 

10:25 am-11:40 pm

Panel 3) AI and the Social

How can we determine the ethics of AI? How can we understand and ameliorate AI’s role in spreading disinformation via social networks? How will AI affect how humans relate to one another?

Panelists

Ting-an Lin, Philosophy, UConn

Hakim Hafidi, Artificial Intelligence and Network Science, Université Internationale de Rabat

John Murphy, Digital Media and Design, UConn
Meriem Regragui, Law, Université Internationale de Rabat

 

11 :40-12 :15

Concluding Remarks

 

This event is the result of a partnership between UConn Global Affairs, UConn Humanities Institute and the Université Internationale de Rabat, Morocco.

 

William Lycan on Mind, Meaning, and Method

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Mitchell Green, Co-editor

Palgrave MacMillan, 2024

William Lycan is an internationally renowned American philosopher whose work since the late 1960s has been not only extensive but also influential, particularly in the areas of philosophy of mind, epistemology, philosophy of language, metaphysics, and more recently metaphilosophy. This contributed volume features high-quality contributions by prominent or up-and-coming philosophers who critically examine many aspects of Lycan’s work; it also contains an essay by Lycan responding to these contributions. In this way, not only is the importance of William Lycan’s work appreciated, it is also made accessible for further research. The book is also suitable for teaching purposes at universities.

Cover of William Lycan on Mind, Meaning, and Method.

Alex Stamson: “Kinda Radical” Podcast

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Check out graduate student Alex Stamson on the Kinda Radical podcast!

On this week's episode I am joined by philosopher, professor, social epistemologist, writer/author, traveler, and fantasy's biggest fan: Alex Stamson! Alex joins KR to discuss feminism in pop fiction, specifically in fantasy writing, film, and TV. We explore feminist theories in Game of Thrones such as self erasure, self sacrifice (or not), queerness in fantasy, and the interesting outcomes of assault for women characters. Alex also shares the meaning of world building in fantasy and how, when perpetuating stereotypes, it can cement prejudice. Finally, we talk about teaching gender studies and how that is received in the classroom.

Listen to the episode