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Center for Values
CHPS
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Summer Seminar
RMPC
Center for Values Outreach
POPCO
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Think!
Research Ethics
Ethics in Film
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July 23rd through August 10th, 2012: 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. Seminars in previous summers have attracted students from all over the country and abroad. All kinds of institutions have been represented, from obscure regional schools to prestigious liberal arts colleges to major research universities. We especially encourage applications from students who do not have the opportunity to take high-level courses at their own institution, and from students coming from institutions with modest reputations in the philosophical community.
The class size will be between 15 and 20. 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. Applicants should have done substantial work in philosophy, including exposure to contemporary analytic methods. Preference will be given to students who have not yet applied to graduate school.
Topic: The Limits of Knowledge
The topic of the Seminar changes every summer. In 2012, the Seminar's topic will be epistemology, and will focus in particular on questions regarding the scope and limits of knowledge. Likely topics include:
The seminar will be jointly taught by the faculty of the Department of Philosophy, with various guests. Scheduled participants include:
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Carol Cleland (Brown, Ph.D. 1981)
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Chris Heathwood (UMass, Ph.D. 2005)
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Michael Huemer (Rutgers, Ph.D. 1998)
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Alison Jaggar (Buffalo, Ph.D. 1970)
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Mitzi Lee (Harvard, Ph.D. 1996)
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Bradley Monton (Princeton, Ph.D. 1999)
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Graham Oddie (London, Ph.D. 1979)
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Robert Pasnau (Cornell, Ph.D. 1994)
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Michael Tooley (Princeton, Ph.D. 1968)
Successful participants will receive three credit hours at the graduate level, which may be applied to either undergraduate or future graduate study.
Past Seminars
Some topics and syllabi from seminars past:
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: $750
Housing: approximately $400
Applications
There is no application form.
Applicants should collect the following:
- 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.
- A letter of recommendation from someone who has taught you philosophy.
- A copy of your college transcript. (An unofficial copy is fine.)
- A short philosophical essay. (The shorter the better; ordinarily, it should be something written for a class.)
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 2008 seminar, hiking in Rocky Mountain
National Park.
Feedback from Former Participants
"It is no understatement to say that this seminar changed my life. I came into the program unsure whether I wanted to continue with philosophy after I graduated from college, and I left knowing my heart was set on staying in the field for the rest of my life. The classes and papers were as rewarding as they were challenging -- very! -- but the heart of the seminar lay elsewhere. I found incredible and lasting friends, and my closest confidantes in philosophical matters, living alongside me in the dorm rooms and hiking with me through the spectacular scenery of the Rocky Mountains. They have helped me through my applications to graduate school and celebrated with me as we all headed off to top Ph.D. programs across the country, and we still fondly recall our times together in Boulder. The program taught us more philosophy than any of us were expecting, but more than that it gave us a glimpse of the life of the modern philosopher, and we liked what we saw very, very much. I cannot recommend the CU Summer Seminar highly enough."
Julia Bursten (BA, Rice University)
Ph.D. student in History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh
"Boulder provided three wonderful weeks of pure, unadulterated philosophy. Being part of a circle of outstanding philosophy students, whose sole purpose was learning philosophy, gave me the opportunity to develop my philosophical skills as never before. Many of the best conversations and debates I have ever had occurred during my time there. The people I met there became some of my closest friends, and we continue to read each others' work. Simply put, Boulder changed my conception of what it takes to be a good philosopher. Thanks to this seminar, I feel like I'm on my way to becoming one."
Matthew Glass (BA, Hamline University)
Ph.D. student in Philosophy, UC Irvine
"When I look back on the last few years and try to explain my growth, the narrative takes the form of BB and AB: 'Before Boulder' and 'After Boulder.' In three weeks I learned more philosophy than I did in entire semesters at my undergraduate institution, I made long lasting friends and philosophical colleagues, and I also came to an important conclusion in the fresh air of those Rockies: graduate school was the track for me. Many of us who attended that summer of 07 were accepted to top PhD programs in the year following, and "The Boulder Circle" (as we call ourselves) has become a continual community for discourse, exchange of papers, encouragement, research, and fun philosophically packed reunions. The CSS was absolutely one of the most transformative experiences of my life, and I will always be grateful for the new horizons it opened and the lasting friendships it provided."
Amber North (BA, Northwestern University)
Gates Scholar, Ph.D. student in Philosophy, University of Cambridge
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