SEMINARS

The Technology & Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence 

Clinton Staley, UATX Professor of Computer Science

Explore the nature, power, and limits of artificial intelligence—from how large language models like ChatGPT work to the ethical and philosophical questions they raise. Experiment with AI chatbots, learn the basics of machine learning, and consider issues of copyright, liability, and employment in an AI-driven world. Conclude with a discussion of human-level intelligence and consciousness: could an AI ever truly think?

Clinton Staley is a professor in the Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at UATX. He holds a BA in Mathematics and English from Principia College, and an MS and PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from UC Santa Barbara. Staley has 40 years of combined experience in academia and industry. He has taught computer science at UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly SLO, and at Principia College, and has built software and managed software development projects for a variety of small and large organizations, including several small software companies of which he was a cofounder. He is the holder of 8 U.S. patents.

America’s Founding Principles 

Chris Nadon, UATX Visiting Professor

Read Jefferson’s original draft of the Declaration of Independence and his famous Letter to Holmes. Together, these works invite us to grapple with the philosophic basis of American political life—its ideals, its contradictions, and its reckoning with slavery.

Christopher Nadon (B.A., M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago) writes on the character and history or republican government understood as self-rule in authors such as Herodotus, Xenophon, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Sarpi, Hobbes, Locke, Tocqueville, and Lincoln. He has taught political philosophy and Humanities at Emet Classical Academy, Claremont-McKenna College, Trinity College, and Kiev-Mohyla Academy.

Transhumanism

Allen Porter, UATX Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Delve into the bold promises and perils of transhumanism. Explore visions of technologically enhanced humans and posthumans, and consider the moral, political, and even religious dimensions of this emerging movement.

Allen Porter is a philosopher from New Orleans with interests in phenomenology, ethics, politics, the philosophy of technology, and the history of philosophy. Prior to becoming Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Austin, Dr. Porter was a postdoctoral associate at the University of Florida’s Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education. He received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Rice University in 2021. He holds a M.A. in Philosophy from Tulane University and a B.A. in German from Princeton University.

Philosophy and Politics

J. Michael Hoffpauir, UATX Assistant Professor of Political Theory

Socrates was the first to bring philosophy down from the heavens and place it in cities. As his reward, Athens executed him. This seminar examines two dialogues where Plato has Socrates defend the philosophic life, the Apology of Socrates and the Crito, to uncover something of the philosophic life, recover the demands cities must place on citizens, and consider whether the two are reconcilable.

J. Michael Hoffpauir is Assistant Professor of Political Theory in UATX Intellectual Foundations. Previously, Hoffpauir taught in the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, at Hillsdale College, and in the Lyceum Program in political and economic thought at Clemson University, where he also served as the program’s Associate Director. He has also taught in the Hudson Institute Political Studies program and in the American Enterprise Institute’s 1789 Fellowship in American Political Thought & Modern PracticeHe received a B.A. in Political Science from Louisiana State University, an M.A. in Political Science from Boston College, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Claremont Graduate University.

Why Does Government Fail So Often?

Scott Scheall, UATX Associate Professor of Philosophy and Economics 

This course investigates the causes of policy success and failure through the lens of political philosophy, history, and economics. We will discuss historical examples of success and failure in several different policy areas, e.g., war, health/nutrition, and environment.

Scott Scheall is Associate Professor of Philosophy & Economics in the UATX Center for Economics, Politics & History. Prior to joining the University of Austin, he taught for fourteen years at Arizona State University. Scott’s research considers the significance of human ignorance for decision-making, particularly in the political realm. He occasionally posts and podcasts at his Substack page, The Problem of Policymaker Ignorance.