On October 6th, 2020, Will Kymlicka, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Political Philosophy at Queen’s University, gave a talk as part of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences's Big Thinking on the Hill lecture series. Here is a description of Will's talk, "Perceptions of humanity and of membership: Two challenges of inclusion and exclusion in Canada":
Professor Grégoire Webber (Law, cross-appointed in Philosophy) was recently renewed as the Canada Research Chair in Public Law and Philosophy of Law, and is continuing his work to enrich our understanding of the responsibilities of government, our responsibilities to each other, and our obligation to the law.
Udo Schüklenk has published an op-ed piece in the June 20 Globe and Mail, under the heading "Canada’s assisted-dying legislation is unconstitutional – now what?" He takes strong issue with the Liberal government's new assisted-dying legislation, for failing to meet the minimum conditions that the Supreme Court set out.
Professor Jacalyn Duffin has an op-ed on medical miracles in today's New York Times: 'Pondering Miracles, Medical and Religious'. In it, she describes her medical testimony at the Vatican, as part of the canonization hearings for Marie-Marguerite d'Youville. That experience led Jackie to start studying the role of medical miracles in canonizations more generally, leading to two of her books of the past decade.
Professor David Bakhurst has been elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, one of the highest honours for Canadian academics. David is being recognized for his many contributions to philosophy, in areas as diverse Russian philosophy, philosophical psychology and philosophy of education.
The National Post reports on Udo Schüklenk's paper with Julian Savulescu on conscientious objection. Udo argues that authorities should bar doctors from refusing to provide such services as abortion and assisted death on moral grounds, and screen out potential medical students who might impose their values on patients.
Sergio Sismondo was on CBC's The National, speaking about hidden drug marketing. The company Novo Nordisk has been trying to put the condition "vaginal atrophy" simultaneously in the public and the medical eye, and has tightly linked that label to its drug for it. See the print version is here.
Josh Mozersky was recently interviewed about his new book Time, Language & Ontology for 3:AM Magazine, and also for New Books in Philosophy.
It is with sadness that we note the passing of Edward (Ted) Bond, a long-time member of the Department. Ted did his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Queen's, and completed a PhD at Cornell. He returned to Queen's as a faculty member in 1964, and had a distinguished career that won him many honours and resulted in important articles and books, perhaps most notably his Reason and Value (1983). Ted Bond will be remembered for his passion for philosophy.
