Students, community philosophize over pizza
Club meets to discuss 'relevant and practical' discipline
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Every Friday at Jeff’s Pizza, 2402 Lincoln Way, anywhere from 14 to 22 people gather in the back room to discuss “one of the most important disciplines, if not the most important,” said Josh Gilmore, senior in philosophy, linguistics and English literature, and president of the Philosophy Club.
About 30 students from multiple majors, as well as faculty and community members, pull tables together and crowd around them, breaking into small groups to discuss anything from ethical questions to “hot-button issues,” scientific methodology and a correct model of reasoning for science.
“Philosophy is important because it allows us to answer and ask questions that no other discipline is able to do,” Gilmore said. “There is nothing more relevant and practical.”
Discussions regarding different philosophical problems, such as the existence of God, free will or moral truths, are really important to human life, said David Alexander, assistant professor of philosophy and adviser for the club.
“You will have a richer understanding of those problems,” Alexander said. “It won’t give solutions to the big problems, but an understanding of why they’re so difficult to solve. To neglect them is to neglect human nature.”
Although a majority of the club’s members are students, one member, Bob Anders, a banker at U.S. Bank, has been coming to the club’s meetings for six or seven years and has been with them through many location changes, from Pizza Pit to the Boheme, then Stomping Grounds, and now to Jeff’s Pizza.
“I was talking to a customer at the bank who said community members can attend campus organizations,” Anders said. “I went through a lot of mind games, wondering if I should attend, then finally had a realization that justified my attending — I grew up with the Christian faith, was in the Peace Corps, lived in India for a couple years and am of the Unitarian faith now. I bring a world view and a sense of maturity to the group.”
Talking about some of these sensitive topics can produce a lot of controversy and conflict, but Gilmore said the group examines them not as matters of opinion, but as a way to get to the heart of the matter.
“Opinion is the antithesis of philosophical inquiry,” Gilmore said. “You have to justify what you know and how you know it.”
Gilmore said the group provides a public forum through which people can contribute to the public good by engaging in discussion and have a good time doing it.
“How do you justify disciplines like philosophy? What does it offer students?” Alexander said. “It develops someone as a complete person.”
Upcoming lectures:
Philosophy of the mind
Panel discussion on issues in the philosophy of science
Ethical realism
Modern political philosophy
To subscribe to group e-mails:
You can join the e-mail list by sending an e-mail with the body “subscribe philclub” to majordomo@iastate.edu.
About 30 students from multiple majors, as well as faculty and community members, pull tables together and crowd around them, breaking into small groups to discuss anything from ethical questions to “hot-button issues,” scientific methodology and a correct model of reasoning for science.
“Philosophy is important because it allows us to answer and ask questions that no other discipline is able to do,” Gilmore said. “There is nothing more relevant and practical.”
Discussions regarding different philosophical problems, such as the existence of God, free will or moral truths, are really important to human life, said David Alexander, assistant professor of philosophy and adviser for the club.
“You will have a richer understanding of those problems,” Alexander said. “It won’t give solutions to the big problems, but an understanding of why they’re so difficult to solve. To neglect them is to neglect human nature.”
Although a majority of the club’s members are students, one member, Bob Anders, a banker at U.S. Bank, has been coming to the club’s meetings for six or seven years and has been with them through many location changes, from Pizza Pit to the Boheme, then Stomping Grounds, and now to Jeff’s Pizza.
“I was talking to a customer at the bank who said community members can attend campus organizations,” Anders said. “I went through a lot of mind games, wondering if I should attend, then finally had a realization that justified my attending — I grew up with the Christian faith, was in the Peace Corps, lived in India for a couple years and am of the Unitarian faith now. I bring a world view and a sense of maturity to the group.”
Talking about some of these sensitive topics can produce a lot of controversy and conflict, but Gilmore said the group examines them not as matters of opinion, but as a way to get to the heart of the matter.
“Opinion is the antithesis of philosophical inquiry,” Gilmore said. “You have to justify what you know and how you know it.”
Gilmore said the group provides a public forum through which people can contribute to the public good by engaging in discussion and have a good time doing it.
“How do you justify disciplines like philosophy? What does it offer students?” Alexander said. “It develops someone as a complete person.”
Upcoming lectures:
Philosophy of the mind
Panel discussion on issues in the philosophy of science
Ethical realism
Modern political philosophy
To subscribe to group e-mails:
You can join the e-mail list by sending an e-mail with the body “subscribe philclub” to majordomo@iastate.edu.
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