Department of Philosophy

A new paper by two University at Buffalo philosophers argues that lasting shifts might be achieved by redirecting the effort to change away from the troublesome norms themselves and towards the mental frameworks supporting them.

Congratulations to John Beverley, winner a $3.8 million grant from the National Institute on Aging. Beverley's project is focused on philosophically-informed ontology development related to the psychological study of aging.  Read the news story by Bert Gambini.

The John Templeton Foundation has awarded a $2.5 million research grant to support the work of faculty in UB’s Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program. The innovative research project will demonstrate how diversity, disagreement and dynamism are crucial resources for fueling an open society, not problems to be managed. Professor Ryan Muldoon, who directs the PPE program, is the grant’s principal investigator. Co-principal investigators include fellow UB faculty members Justin Bruner, associate professor of philosophy; David Emmanuel Gray, associate teaching professor of philosophy; Jacob Neiheisel, associate professor of political science; Alexandra Oprea, assistant professor of philosophy; Alexander Schaefer, assistant professor of philosophy; and Erik Kimbrough, Chapman University professor of political economy and philosophy.

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has recognized UB's Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program as a ‘Hidden Gem’ that enhances students’ analytical skills. The program creates prepared leaders eager to shape and improve the relationship between markets and the liberal sociopolitical order. Read the news story by Bert Gambini.

The journal Cosmos+Taxis, 12 (5+6), has published a symposium on Jobst Landgrebe and Barry Smith, Why Machines Will Never Rule the World: Artificial Intelligence without Fear. The issue includes papers and reviews by more than eighteen authors.

Alexandria Oprea's research, published online by Cambridge University Press, strengthens the normative case for compulsory voting by arguing that it could improve democracy by reducing polarization, which existing work suggests can lead to democratic backsliding. Read the news story by Bert Gambini.

The ISO/IEC standard establishes Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) as the first Top Level Ontology for describing complex processes, objects and functions in ways that will allow scientists to proceed with greater confidence that their data will be reusable by others. Barry Smith, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy and director of the UB National Center for Ontological Research (NCOR) led the UB team behind the effort, which included Werner Ceusters, division chief, Biomedical Ontology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Alan H. Ruttenberg, former director of clinical and translational data exchange, UB School of Dental Medicine. Read the news article by Bert Gambini.

In the revised second edition of Why Machines Will Never Rule the World, Jobst Landgrebe and Barry Smith argue that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is mathematically impossible. Drawing on fields from neuroscience to physics, they explain why the human brain’s complexity can’t be replicated in machines and why even advanced systems like ChatGPT can’t truly think or feel. This edition updates their case for the era of Large Language Models, debunks myths of digital immortality and simulated realities, and reframes “AI ethics” as a matter of how humans use technology—not how machines behave. An essential read for anyone questioning the hype around AI.

Alexandra Oprea and Daniel Stephens have co-authored a thought-provoking paper that was recently published in the journal Politics, Philosophy & Economics. According to the co-authors, the first duty of a democratic citizen is voting in ways that keep their democracy a democracy. Read the research news article by Bert Gambini.

UB's Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program faculty have received a $500,000 dollar grant to study the relationship between norms of inclusion, immigration, and democracy. Read the news story by Bert Gambini.

In conjunction with National Honesty Day, UB's Office of Academic Integrity recognized David E. Gray as one of five individuals who promoted a culture of integrity at UB during the 2022-2023 academic year. The award cites Dr. Gray's proactive approach to ensuring academic integrity in his classes through clear communication of expectations, Honor Agreements, and the use of “philosopher’s stones” when students need coursework extensions. He approaches policy violations in a compassionate and educational manner, always with an eye on character development for the student. Dr. Gray’s PHI 485 course challenges students to “make the world a better place”. Read more.

When the student team in the PPE course, PHI 485, identified a need for places to read inside the Buffalo City Mission, they proceeded to develop three areas, and built bookshelves for over 1,000 donated books for the residents. Their capstone project is the subject of an article by Charles Anzalone, UB News.