Graduate Student Reading Groups
Aesthetics Reading Group
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Lydia Goehr
The Columbia University Faculty-Student Aesthetics Group meets once a week (more or less) to discuss papers, chapters, themes, and topics pertaining to aesthetics, social theory, and the arts. All approaches and methods are discussed in an open and critical environment. Faculty, graduate students and visitors passing through town are welcome, though membership and attendance should be approved by Professor Lydia Goehr ([email protected]).
Critical Theory Reading Group
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Axel Honneth
The Critical Theory Reading Group explores the tradition of critical theory as it appears in the Frankfurt School and its predecessors as well as in alternative and contemporary approaches. The group is based on reading texts that trace historical and/or thematic trajectories, with an eye to the contemporary relevance of what we’re reading. To do this, we draw on relevant work from a variety of disciplines. The group meets weekly and is open to current grad students, former grad students, and faculty. If you’re interested, please contact Jared Jones ([email protected]) or Louis Finegan ([email protected])!
German Idealism Reading Group
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Axel Honneth
The German Idealism Reading Group focuses on texts from the period in the history of philosophy known as German Idealism. The group is based on reading texts from major authors of the period, with an eye to reconstructing the views defended, historical context, and the problems and advantages of each text’s approach. We’ve traditionally focused on Hegel, but the group is open to studying other authors, such as Kant, Fichte, Schelling, or their contemporaries. The group meets weekly and is open to current grad students, former grad students, and faculty. If you’re interested, please contact Jared Jones ([email protected])!
Non-western Philosophy Reading Group
***This group will resume its meetings in Spring 2025.***
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Katja Vogt
The Non-Western Philosophy Reading Group meets every semester to read and discuss a single philosophical text from a non-western tradition. For Spring 2024, the group will focus on Zhuangzi and will meet every other Tuesday from 5-6pm in 302 Philosophy Hall, starting Jan. 22nd. In previous semesters, the group has read Vasubandhu's Vimsatika-Karika (Twenty Verses on Consciousness-Only), Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosa, Nāgārjuna’s Vigrahavyāvartanī (The Dispeller of Disputes), Jñānaśrīmitra’s Apohaprakaraṇa (Monograph on Exclusion), Wang Yangming's Instructions for Practical Living (《传习录》）, Chapter Two of the Zhuangzi (the “Equalizing Assessments of Things” 《齐物论》), and the Daodejing. All faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students are welcome. If interested, please direct emails to Helen Han Wei Luo ([email protected]) to be added to the listserv.
Philosophy and AI Reading Group
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Katja Vogt
The Philosophy and AI reading group meets weekly to discuss contemporary papers in artificial intelligence and the intersection of philosophy and AI. This semester, we will be focusing especially on issues of AI and fairness. The reading group is open to current and former graduate students, visiting scholars, lecturers, and faculty. We especially welcome people from other disciplines outside of philosophy, such as computer science, engineering, cognitive science, law, etc. If you are interested, please contact Syan Timothy Lopez ([email protected]).
Philosophy of Language Reading Group
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Karen Lewis
The Philosophy of Language Reading Group meets on Thursdays 11:00-12:00pm in 716 Philosophy Hall to discuss a variety of issues in philosophy of language. All faculty and students are welcome. For more information, please contact Noah Betz-Richman ([email protected]).
Spinoza Reading Group
***This group will resume its meetings at a future date, TBA.***
Faculty Sponsor: Professor John Morrison
The Spinoza reading group will work its way through Spinoza’s Ethics, parts of the Theological-Political Treatise, and the Political Treatise. The focus throughout will be on the meaning and logic of Spinoza’s own arguments and their significance for German Idealism and certain variants of Marxism. We meet weekly on Tuesdays. All graduate students and faculty are welcome. If you are interested, please contact Sara Wexler ([email protected]).