Group for Analytic Metaphysics and Epistemology (GAME)
History and Purpose
In September of 2019, I started a group here at A&M's Philosophy department called GAME. The purpose of the group was simply to provide both graduate students and faculty a forum in which to showcase recent or ongoing work, to create an intentional space for those interested in analytic philosophy to explore issues within the field in an informal and social setting, and at times to provide graduate students a place in which to ask questions of faculty regarding the job marketplace, including tips on writing, pedagogy, professionalization, etc.
The group has, on the whole, been successful in its purpose. Since COVID restrictions, it has unexpectedly provided an opportunity to bring many guests from outside the department to present their work and interact with both A&M faculty and graduate students, as well as previous presenters from departments around the country and beyond who have joined and participated in the group in subsequent meetings. We have so far welcomed presenters and participants from Stanford, Michigan, Oxford, Carnegie Mellon University, UNC, USC, Ohio State, and Dartmouth, to name a few.
While focusing on issues in analytic philosophy, we are an open group that invites and encourages interest from within a wide range of philosophical topics. Ted George, for example, presented on his recent work on hermeneutics within the continental tradition, and provided discussion for how interests in that field overlap with interests in analytic philosophy.
Logistics
My colleague Sean Conte and I help run and coordinate the group. We typically meet every two Wednesdays at 1:00pm CT via Zoom. If you would like more information about joining the group, feel free to contact Sean (info at his website in the link above) or me. I have also been asked to help start a GAME chapter at Baylor University's Philosophy department, and details on that may be forthcoming.
Here's a link to the GAME schedule.
Aggie Research Program Mentorship
Fall 2020
During the Fall 2020 semester, through the voluntary Aggie Research program, I supervised three separate research projects that involved digital ethics, language ethics, and the ethics of race. Undergraduate students voluntarily choose projects they are interested in from a large list that spans all departments.
Our first project looked at the major ethical issues surrounding deepfake technology, specifically when misrepresentation is involved.
Our second project explored the interpretive frames for taking a knee during the national anthem during sporting events, and the ethical concerns that follow from those interpretive frames.
Our third project sought to uncover both the historical, linguistic, and ethical components to capitalizing the word Black in racial contexts.