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Colorado Summer Seminar in Philosophy

July 9th through 27th, 2007: Boulder, Colorado.

Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy
at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

The Seminar is intended for outstanding undergraduates who are considering graduate school in philosophy. The aim is to introduce students to the atmosphere of a graduate-level seminar, giving participants a chance to explore and sharpen their philosophical abilities before they commit to a graduate program.

In addition to offering the experience of a graduate seminar, we hope participants will benefit from meeting other students with similar interests and from interacting with prominent faculty in the field. Anyone interested is encouraged to apply, but the program is particularly intended for two kinds of students: first, for those who do not have access to graduate-level classes at their own colleges; second, for those whose undergraduate institutions are not well-known as "feeder schools" into graduate programs. The Seminar is designed to prepare participants for graduate school, and to help participants gain admission into the best programs.

We are aiming for a class size of 15. The course is highly intensive, meeting five times a week for three weeks, for three hours a day, with a further student-led discussion session in the evenings. The readings will be dense and difficult, and students will be expected to participate extensively. Several papers will be required. Preference will be given to students with significant background in philosophy who have not yet applied to graduate school.

Topic: Philosophy of Science

The topic of the Seminar changes every summer. In 2007, the Seminar's topic will be the philosophy of science.We will be looking at both historical and contemporary texts, and discussing a wide range of issues where philosophy and science intersect, such as

  • Problems of induction
  • Historical vs. predictive sciences
  • The nature of space and time
  • Laws of nature
  • Interpretations of quantum mechanics
  • Science and values

The seminar will be jointly taught by the faculty of the Department of Philosophy, along with several distinguished visitors. Scheduled instructors include:

  • Carol Cleland (Brown, Ph.D. 1981)
  • Michael Huemer (Rutgers, Ph.D. 1998)
  • Mitzi Lee (Harvard, Ph.D. 1994)
  • Bradley Monton (Princeton, Ph.D. 1999)
  • Graham Oddie (London, Ph.D. 1979)
  • Robert Pasnau (Cornell, Ph.D. 1994)
  • Robert Rupert (Illinois-Chicago, Ph.D. 1996)
  • Michael Tooley (Princeton, Ph.D. 1968)

Visiting faculty:

  • Isabelle Peschard (University of Twente, Netherlands)
  • Bas van Fraassen (Princeton University)

Successful participants will receive three credit hours at the graduate level, which may be applied to either undergraduate or future graduate study.

Summer in Colorado

The seminar will take place on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Located at the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, 25 miles northwest of Denver, Boulder is perhaps the most attractive college setting in the country. Participants will be encouraged to explore the city of Boulder and the nearby mountains. Weekend outings will be organized.

Tuition and Housing

Tuition: $650

Housing: approximately $400

Applications

There is no application form.

Applicants should collect the following:

  1. A cover letter including your name, mailing address, email address, and an account of who you are and why you are interested in the program.
  2. A letter of recommendation from someone who has taught you philosophy.
  3. A copy of your college transcript. (An unofficial copy is fine.)

Mail this information to:
      Summer Seminar
      Department of Philosophy
      University of Colorado
      232 UCB
      Boulder, CO 80309-0232

To receive full consideration, applications must be received by April 1st. Decisions will be made within a month.

For more information, contact Robert Pasnau: pasnau@colorado.edu
To learn more about Philosophy at CU/Boulder, go to our homepage .




Some participants in the 2002 seminar, hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Feedback from Former Participants

The program created a unique and informal atmosphere ripe for philosophical discussion among undergraduate contemporaries who possess similar abilities and motivations, yet whose diverse interests represent the entire philosophical spectrum.... I am convinced that my selection as a Rhodes Scholar in December of 2002 would have been impossible had I not participated in the Summer of Philosophy program.

Adam Cureton (BA, University of Georgia)
Philosophy graduate student, Oxford University


Whether simply going out to dinner or on a Saturday hike in the Rocky Mountains, we were offered an opportunity to conduct and discuss philosophy on an everyday basis. This, to me, was what made my time in Boulder such a unique experience.... We spent time in seminar absorbing and analyzing various positions in philosophy of mind, but we were also able to take this information and discuss it among like-minded individuals during the rest of the day.

Andrew Courtwright (BA, Rice University)
Philosophy graduate student, University of North Carolina

I drew swords with a McDowell enthusiast from Toronto, drank with a cognitive psychologist from Birmingham, and chatted up God with a Catholic from Notre Dame.... It is this sort of dialogue that undergraduates rarely, if ever, have the opportunity to participate in, since nothing comparable is found in paper conferences or one-week workshops.

Phillip Rutherford (BA, Reed College)
Philosophy graduate student, Princeton University

 

I believe that the lessons I learned from the seminar were some of the biggest reasons for my admission to graduate school.

Joseph Corabi (BA, St. Joseph's University)
Philosophy graduate student, Rutgers University