UCO Febuary Philosophy Series: Lecture Recap

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Philosophy Department resumed its lecture series last Wednesday in the College of Liberal Arts, giving students the opportunity to explore ideas outside of the classroom.

The year-long series “Hill I Would Die On” is a faculty-led lecture series presenting and examining philosophical ideas they consider intellectually significant.

Organized by Dr. Andrew Russo, philosophy professor, the lecture series intends to highlight topics professors don’t have the capacity to teach in a semester-long course.

The series began in the fall semester and continues through the spring. Beginning the first week of February, lectures will be held once a month in the College of Liberal Arts, with a different professor each time. 

The initiative began as a topic-based idea proposed by Dr. Russo, before becoming a department-wide effort. The series provides students with the opportunity to engage directly with the professors while also building an intellectual community on campus, Green said. 

The lectures are open to all students, regardless of major, as well as the broader campus community.

The first lecture this spring featured Dr. Green, a philosophy professor, who discussed the claim that all religious beliefs are probably irrational, including that belief itself. Green used religion to show how philosophers analyze arguments without necessarily accepting their conclusions. 

Green said that religious claims remain among the most important philosophical issues, even for those who do not consider themselves religious. 

“What gives life meaning, and therefore how should I live?” Green said.

“Those are the most fundamental questions about anything you could ask.” While not every one of those questions has a religious answer, every religion is trying to answer those questions, Green said. 

The central takeaway from his argument, Green said, was the importance of humility when it comes to our beliefs.

His lecture was focused on examining reason rather than promoting belief, and acknowledging this can shape how individuals deal with disagreements. 

“One thing philosophers do is look at arguments and explore where they lead,” Green said, “And you can do that without necessarily endorsing the argument.”

It should matter that there are a lot of intelligent people who have good arguments for why you are wrong, Green said. 

 The “Hill I Would Die On” lecture series is a push for students to ask difficult questions and engage with difficult ideas beyond the classroom.

The next lecture with Dr. Sydney Marrow will be held on March 4 in room LAS 263.