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We are pleased to send you the September newsletter. The theme of this newsletter is "Back to School".
With the start of the autumn semester, many students begin a new chapter in their education. Questions such as "Have I chosen the right subject?" or "Am I even ready to study?" become equally faithful and uncomfortable companions of this new phase of life, like the always overcrowded seminar rooms of the first weeks of the semester. At the same time, the start of the new semester represents for others the renewed and often no less demanding or even gruelling confrontation with the seminars and lectures on offer. Which courses should I enrol in? How do I weigh up the benefits and interests so that I can benefit the most from what is on offer? Or even more fundamentally: What am I really interested in?
Dealing with the flood of information, the many opportunities and not least one's own ambitions may even push one to existential reflection outside the philosophy seminar. It´s safe to say, this phenomenon borders on an eternally recurring certainty.
In order to take some of the terror out of this academic constant, this month philosophie.ch once again features many contributions and resources on many aspects of studying and beyond. Particularly useful here would be the philosophical first aid kit, the "Voices from your studies" section and a curated list of useful introductory literature.
So that the start of the semester succeeds with as few headaches as possible and thus leaves more time for the other essential things in life, because even Erasmus of Rotterdam already knew: "We do not live in order to study, but we study in order to be able to live pleasantly".
If, despite an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, you still find the time to recommend our newsletter via link, we would be extremely grateful.
Of course, we are also very happy about other forms of support, be it financialor in terms of content! We have also announced new competitions, jobs and internships.
News
On 16 November 2023, the eighth edition of the Long Night of Philosophy will take place in Zurich, fittingly on the UNESCO World Day of Philosophy. On this day, the city will once again be enlivened by a variety of philosophical events: There will be lectures and theatre performances, readings as well as discussions and talks - Café Philos will also be present. Visitors can also look forward to philosophy slams, film screenings and curated walks. An evening full of exciting impulses from the field of philosophy awaits all who are interested!
2nd Swiss Animal-Environmental Ethics Network Meeting
On 9 November 2023, the second meeting of the "Swiss Animal-Environmental Ethics Network" will take place at the University of Fribourg (Campus Pérolles). The aim of this and future meetings is to facilitate networking between different institutions and researchers working in the field of animal or environmental ethics in Switzerland. At this one-day meeting, researchers from these fields will have the opportunity to present and share their current and future projects.
Like last year, the SwissPhilO association is again organising a Philosophy Olympiad for high school students. The deadline for entries is 26 November 2023. More information.
Contribution
The insight that we would not be where we are today without processes of social transformation seems first and foremost like an obtuse platitude. Especially when one considers how self-evidently the legacy of the Enlightenment is repeatedly invoked (to remind us of its values), it seems obvious that social transformation as such is an ongoing process. But how does a moral escape artist like Nietzsche judge this phenomenon? Could it be that individual freedom as an achievement of these processes is nothing but an illusion? A detailed classification by Martin Saar. (Article in German)
Digital ways of faith
At the latest since the 2013 NSA revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden, metaphors such as those of the "All-Seeing Eye of God" have found lively use in media coverage of modern surveillance technologies. Only ten years later, contemporary society is facing an even larger digital leviathan. Alongside the central conflict between the right to privacy in the digital space and the economic benefit of individual tech giants, the question of the transformative power of the digital is also increasingly being raised. For, as Ayad Al-Ani argues in his latest contribution, there are specifically religious aspects that go hand in hand with the potentiation of technological power. (Article in German)
At the latest since the 2013 NSA revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden, metaphors such as those of the "All-Seeing Eye of God" have found lively use in media coverage of modern surveillance technologies. Only ten years later, contemporary society is facing an even larger digital leviathan. Alongside the central conflict between the right to privacy in the digital space and the economic benefit of individual tech giants, the question of the transformative power of the digital is also increasingly being raised. For, as Ayad Al-Ani argues in his latest contribution, there are specifically religious aspects that go hand in hand with the potentiation of technological power. (Article in German)
Since the publication of her controversial study "How to explain the Leaky Pipeline?" on the consequences of gender equality measures at universities, the dust has settled somewhat. However, the wide range from constructive-critical opinions to moral outcry, regardless on which side of the political spectrum, shows that further classification of this complex issue will remain necessary. In her latest article, Katja Rost sheds light on another aspect of the measures she examined, which is sure to be a topic of discussion once again. (Article in German)
The Bologna system was originally intended to revolutionize the European landscape of higher education and promote student mobility. But even after more than ten years since its introduction in Switzerland, the fundamental criticism of how this reform works is still legitimate, even if it has lost some of its attention in the meantime. In order to revive the discourse on this issue, we have posted a speech by Lars Allolio-Näcke from 2009 in the context of the German/Austrian student protests "Uni Brennt". (Article in German)
In addition to the loud political debates on the topic of "migration", the voices that actually have the most to contribute are often silenced: those of the refugees themselves. In order to give them a chance to speak, the project "Fluchtgeschichten" was launched some time ago. In this month's interview with Sohail Ajab Khan, you will learn about the difficulties he still faces after many years in Switzerland and why fleeing can feel like rebirth. (Article in German)
The "Voices from your studies" section offers a variety of reports and experiences from students who give an insight into their world of thought. These stories can show that philosophy is not only an academic subject, but also a living journey of critical thinking. We cordially invite you to be inspired!
Studying philosophy means a lot of writing. To ensure that these often unnoticed achievements also receive some attention outside the walls of university, we offer the opportunity to publish them on our portal.
Book reviews and notes
Philosophical reading can be a real time-eater. Those who still try to keep up with the flood of publications usually realise in frustration after a short time that it would probably take several lifetimes to master this atlas act. To make it a little easier to choose what to read in the limited time available to us, we have revised our reviews and book notes page and made it clearer.
Feautres and Projects
Press Review
We are not only interested in press reports about us, but in media publications of philosophical content in general. After a failed experiment of a press review (which philpublica does much better), we would now like to start an (exclusive ;-)) press club. Please give us tips on philosophical content and get in touch if you are interested!
Swiss Philosophical Preprint Series
The philosophy portal runs an archive - protect your drafts, teaching materials, handouts and powerpoints from plagiarism and make them freely available under a Creative Commons licence! Simply send your material to info@philosophie.ch.
Calls and Announcements
Essay competition: "Is there anything AI will never be able to do?"
Every year, philosophy students have the opportunity to participate in a competition organised by the Society for Analytic Philosophy and win up to €750 (1st place). The winning essays are published in the Grazer Philosophische Studien.
In our new essay competition, we venture into the delicate topic of "suicide" (also a new thematic focus). The deadline for entries is the 1st of November 2023. We are also looking forward to contributions on the philosophy of medicine, health and the meaning of life!
Essay Competition: Philosophical Questions in Psychology and the Study of Psychology
As a philosophy portal, we would like to address not only philosophy students but also psychology students. To this end, we have also written an essay competition for the thematic focus on philosophical questions in psychology.
Zurich Philosophy Festival 2024
The 6th Zurich Philosophy Festival will take place from 25 to 27 January 2024 at the Mühle Tiefenbrunnen in Zurich. The programme will be announced in early November. Find more information about the festival and the 2023 edition here.