Archived News
News and Events
2019-20
Bronco Philosophy Alums
Add yourself to the CPP Philosophy Alumni Database!
Philosophy Club Events Calendar
To stay current on Philosophy Club updates, consider following the club on Instagram @CPPPhilosophyClub
World Philosophy Day 2019
The Department hosts its 4th World Philosophy Day celebration on Thursday, November 21st, from 9:30a-3:30p in Ursa Minor in the Bronco Student Center. All are welcome
11/14, Robert Sanchez, "The Value of Philosophies, Starting with Latin American Philosophy”
Robert Sanchez ( Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles)
Bronco Student Center, Orion Suites
Thursday, November 14th, 2019, 12pm
10/24, Justin Clardy discusses the Philosophy of Love and "Emotional Affairs"
Justin Clardy ( Stanford University) discusses the nature and moral significance of "emotional affairs" for intimate relationships
Building 5, Room 244
October 24th, 2019, 12pm
8/29, 4pm: Krista Thomason discusses "The Moral Risks of Online Shaming" and her book, Naked: The Dark Side of Shame and Moral Life
Join author Krista Thomason, Professor of Philosophy at Swarthmore College, on Thursday, August 29, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. in building 6, room 104. Thomason will lead a discussion about her book Naked and touch on subjects such as the risk of online shaming and moral life.
For more about Thomason...
"APA Member Interview: Krista Thomason" (An American Philosophical Association interview with Thomason)
" If You Feel Ashamed Does That Mean You Are A Moral Failure?" by Krista Thomason (Aeon, digital magazine)
"The Varieties of Shame" by Krista Thomason (Oxford University Press Blog post)
2018-19
Philosophy Club Events Calendar
Speaker Series, Spring 2019
Todd May ( Clemson University), "Our Stories and our Values"
Bronco Student Center, Orion Suite
March 19th, 2019, 12pm
“Throughout our lives, we tell stories, many about ourselves. If we reflect on these stories, we will often see values we hold, values that we may sometimes prefer we didn't hold."
(For more on Todd May, see his explanations of philosophical themes from NBC's The Good Place on YouTube.)
Congratulations to Cal Poly Pomona Ethics Bowl Team!
Ethics Bowl Team Finishes as California Runners-up, Competes in National Championship
An Ethics Bowl demonstration from CPP's World Philosophy Day Celebration, November 2018. From left: Briana Dearman, Michael Rhodes, Bernard Granados, Jacob Diaz, and Marmar Tavasol
The California Center for Ethics and Policy (CCEP)
The Cal Poly Pomona Philosophy Department and College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences is proud to announce the launch of the California Center for Ethics and Policy (CCEP), directed by Professor of Philosophy Michael Cholbi. The Center will provides programs that foster public dialogue about ethics and policy issues facing California and similiar communities. CCEP's programs will focus on an annual theme.
The theme for 2018-19 is Health Care Justice and Health Access in California.
In the Spring 2019, Professor David Adams will lead a seminar (Ethics and Policy, 4400) on healthcare justice, with an emphasis on healthcare challenges in California.
The theme for 2019-20 will be t he Military in California’s Culture and Economy.
Student Ethics and Policy Fellows
Each year, CCEP selects a handful of qualified university students to serve as Ethics and Policy Fellows. Student Fellows spend the year investigating CCEP’s annual theme. Fellows participate in an intensive thematic seminar, interact with ethics and policy experts, learn about community initiatives related to the theme, and contribute to a student research conference. The 2018-19 Fellows are Jose Becerra (Anthropology), Jacob Diaz (Philosophy), Zane Landin (Science, Technology, and Society), Valerie Marquez (Philosophy/Political Science), Reyna Pena-Calvillo (Political Science), Adriana Ramirez (Philosophy), and Jaden Yocom (Philosophy).
2018-2019 CCEP Events
Spring 2019 Speaker Series on Health Care Access and Health Justice in California. All are welcome!
Dr. Alex Rajczi (Claremont McKenna College), The Ethics of Health Care Policy in California and the U.S.
February 21, 2019, 12-1:30, Andromeda Suite, Bronco Student Center
Dr. Christine Morton (Stanford University), Canary in the Coal Mine: Maternal Mortality as an Indicator of State and National Priorities for Women's Health
March 21, 2019, 12-1:30, Orion Suite, Bronco Student Center
Dr. Michelle Ko (University of California, Davis), Disparities in Access to Care: Is California a National Role Model or a Cautionary Tale?
April 11, 2019, 12:00-1:30, Orion Suite, Bronco Student Center
Dr. Paul Lyons (University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine) will present on medical education, health care access, and primary care shortages in the Inland Empire
May 2, 2019, 12:00-1:30, Bronco Student Center
CCEP hosted an election fair, Tuesday, October 9, 12PM-6PM, in the Bronco Student Center, Ursa Minor. It included a voter registration drive, as well as representatives for and against November’s 12 state ballot propositions.
World Philosophy Day 2018
The Department hosted its third World Philosophy Day celebration on November 15th in Ursa Minor in the Bronco Student Center from 9:45AM to 3PM.
Elke Azpeitia, Kristofer Harris, David Mier, and Elizabeth Muehlmann
Special Guest Judge: Mathew McGuthry
World Philosophy Day 2018: students from Professor Madva's Race & Racism class
Philosophy Club Events Calendar
To stay current on Philosophy Club updates, consider following the club on Instagram @CPPPhilosophyClub
Speaker Series, Fall 2018
Ryan Preston-Roedder ( Occidental College), Thursday, November 1st, 12pm
Eleonore Neufeld ( University of Southern California), Thursday, October 4th, 12pm, in the Bronco Student Center, England Evans Room
Manuel Vargas ( University of California, San Diego), "The Philosophy of Accidentality: Notes on a Mexican Existentialism," Thursday, September 6th, 12PM, in Andromeda AB in the Bronco Student Center
Career and Community-Related Events, Fall 2018
Career Center Workshop, September 2018
LSAT Prep Discussion, October 11th 2018
Paul An speaks on October 18th about a Disability Awareness Event (which will take place in April 2019)
"Brown Bag" Series for Works in Preparation
Professor Michael Cholbi, "A Duty to Grieve" October 25th
Congratulations to our 2018 graduates!
2017-18
Congratulations to philosophy major Valerie Marquez for being awarded the Panetta Institute Congressional Internship in the Fall 2018.
Professors Cholbi and Madva interviewed about their article defending Black Lives Matter's call to abolish the death penalty
Conference for Outstanding Senior Theses: Featuring thesis presentations by:
- Joshua Ebiner, "Global Justice: Practical Approaches to Discharge Responsibility," with comments by Bernard Granados;
- Kristofer Harris, "A Rejection of Frankfurtian Compatibilism," with comments by Brianna Dearman;
- Jasmine Diaz, "On the Intersection of Drugs and Poverty: Reshaping the Philosophical Debate for Drug Decriminalization," with comments by Valerie Marquez; and
- Jordan Garcia, "The Toxic Habit of Masculine Aggression: A Reply to Frye's 'Oppression'," with comments by Allie Davis. May 11th, 12pm-4pm, New Business Building 163-1032.
Philosophy and psychology majors put on Cut the BiaS fundraising concert and speaker series at the Fox Theater in Pomona on April 5th, headlined by rapper KRS-One. Organizers were students in Philosophy Professor Alex Madva's Philosophy and Psychology of Implicit Bias course, including Marmar Tavasol, Jay Ramzy, Hailey Arzaga, Jordan Garcia, Valerie Marquez, AJ Keller, Jesse Ibarra, Danielle Aguilerra, Jasmine Diaz, Clarissa Madrid, Amber Ricafrente, and Valerie Felix.
World Philosophy Day celebration: The Department will host its second World Philosophy Day celebration on Thursday, November 9, 1:00-5:30, on the 8th floor of the CLA (the 'pointy building'). This is a great opportunity students, alumni, faculty, and department friends to celebrate philosophy and the Philosophy Department.
The schedule for the event is below — all alumni are very welcome! Please RSVP to Dr. Cholbi (mjcholbi@cpp.edu) or to Dr. Gasdaglis (klgasdaglis@cpp.edu). Hope to see many of you there!
World Philosophy Day At CPP
Date: Thursday, 11.9.17
Location: CLA Tower, Building 98 (Pointy Building), Heritage Room
12:45 Welcome to World Philosophy Day! (Snacks)
1-1:30 First Faculty Talk: “Intersectionality as a Regulative Ideal” Katie Gasdaglis, Alex Madva.
1:30-1:45 Alumnus Noel Palm Presents
1:45-2:05 Meet the faculty; Current students ask the faculty questions.
2:05-2:15 Meet the students; Faculty ask current students questions.
2:15-2:30: Coffee break!
2:30-3:10 Ethics Bowl Demo
3:10-3:40 Alumni John Balla and Mat McGuthry present.
3:45-4:15 Second Faculty Talk: Michael Cholbi, “The Paradox of Grief"
4:15-5:30 Alumni-Student Mixer (light food and non-alcoholic drinks will be served)
Department continues 'brown bag' research series: The Department holds monthly meetings at which department faculty discuss a work in progress. These 'brown bag' meetings will be held on Thursdays, 12-1. All members of the campus community, including studens, are invited — please feel free to bring your lunch. The papers for discussion will be distributed beforehand; please e-mail Dr. Cholbi for a copy of the current paper.
BROWN BAG SCHEDULE 2017-18: Dr. Corwin Aragon, "Faces of Epistemic Oppression." Thursday, October 19, 12-1 (building 5, room 214)
Students and faculty welcome Kitcher for climate change discussion: In August, the philosophy department hosted Dr. Philip Kitcher, John Dewey Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University, for a discussion of his book Seasons Alter: How to Save Our Planet in Six Acts. Department faculty and students read the book, a series of dialogues on climate change and climate policy, as part of the department's annual summer reading group.
Congrats to our 2017 graduates!
2016-17
Philosophy students continue on to graduate study: Congratulations to our graduates who have gone on to pursue PhDs in philosophy! This fall, Mathew McGuthrie is beginning at Stanford and Derick Hughes is beginning at University of Colorado, Boulder.
Lecture by Dr. Aaron James on surfing and philosophy: Dr. James, Professor of Philosophy at University of California, Irvine, will present 1:00-2:30, Friday March 3.
Lecture by Dr. Brian Kim, "The value of knowledge": Dr. Kim, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Oklahoma State University, will be presenting "The value of knowledge", 12-1, location TBA.
World Philosophy Day November 17: The Department held a celebration of philosophy, including guest lectures by former students and current faculty, panels on careers for philosophy majors, information about the philosophy major and student activities (including Ethics Bowl and the Clinical Ethics Practicum), and information and networking opportunities for students interested in legal careers. All department classes will be cancelled that day! More details to come. Contact Dr. Gasdaglis for additional information.
Assistant Professor Madva joins Philosophy Department: The Department welcomes Alex Madva, PhD Columbia University, as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Madva's work centers on the questions that research in social psychology raises for philosophy of mind, philosophy of race and feminism, and applied ethics (especially prejudice and discrimination).
Assistant Professor Aragon joins Philosophy Department: The Department welcomes Cory Ar agon, PhD University of Colorado, as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Aragon's work centers on social and political philosophy (particularly structural injustice), philosophy of race, feminism and environmental ethics. He previously taught at Concordia College (Minnesota).
Drs. Aragon and Madva were interviewed about their work by The Post Post. (And no, they didn't coordinate...)
2015-16
Department organizes two-day conference on bias and social injustice: Department faculty member Alex Madva has arranged for a two-day conference on "Bias in Context: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Discrimination and Inequality." Details:
- May 12-13, 2016, campus locations to be announced
- Speakers: Erin Beeghly (University of Utah); Irene Blair (CU-Boulder); Tiffany Brannon (UCLA); Cory Gooding (University of San Diego)Jules Holroyd (University of Sheffield); Emily Lee (Cal State Fullerton)
- Free and open to the public — registration not required
- First in a four-part conference series, through October 2017, with additional events at the University of Sheffield and the University of Utah
- More Conference on Bias information
Visiting lecture on missing and murdered indigenous women: Katie Stockdale, a PhD candidate at Dalhousie University, will present a lecture entitled “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: A Feminist Relational Approach to Responsibility, Solidarity, and Social Justice”, at noon, Tuesday, April 5, building 5, room 255. All are welcome to attend
Department hosts Los Angeles Regional High School Ethics Bowl, Janury 2016: The campu hosted 14 teams from a number of local high school teams as they competed for a place in the national High School Ethics Bowl finals.
New tenure-track faculty member joins Philosophy Department: The department welcomes Katherine Gasdaglis, PhD Columbia University, hired for the department's Assistant Professor position in Early Modern philosophy. Dr. Gasdaglis's research focuses on Kant's theoretical philosophy, philosophy of mind, and feminism.