Undergraduate students were given a chance to present their work to colleagues and faculty last week in our hugely successful Reason, Knowledge and Values Colloquium.

Towards the start of Summer Term, first-year undergraduates take part in our regular PH103 – Reason, Knowledge and Values Colloquium. PH103 is our introductory philosophy course, taken by all new undergraduates on each of our BSc Programmes. The colloquium consists of a series of talks given by students on a PH103 topic of their choice.

These colloquia provide students with the perfect opportunity to hone their philosophical skills by presenting their work to colleagues and faculty in a supportive, but rigorous, environment. With many of our students looking forward to further study and academic careers, such experience proves invaluable.

Students presented on a broad range of topics in this year’s colloquium: from the B-theory of time to the Logical Problem of Evil, and from Utilitarianism to the Justified True Belief theory of knowledge. This range of topics is representative of both the breadth of the PH103 course itself, and of the philosophy modules available here in the Department of Philosophy, Logic & Scientific Method.

The PH103 course instructor, Dr Heather Dyke, had this to say about the students’ work:

The student presentations were of a very high calibre, showing excellent research and presentation skills. They really grappled with the issues, and the level of philosophical engagement with the topics was impressive. The students in the audience were also very engaged and enthused by the presentations, resulting in great feedback and critical engagement in the Q&A sessions. All in all it was a very enjoyable, rewarding, and educational experience for all.

A big thanks to Dr Dyke for her help in organising this event, and to Dr Susanne Burri, Assistant Professor, for her opening remarks.

Finally, thank you to all the students who took part in this event. We wish all of our students the best of luck in their upcoming exams!