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Long winter nights make for good reads. Duke publications from the fall and winter include attractions for readers of many interests.  For history buffs, there's new history of the American West and a timely assessment of economic sanctions. For politicos, there's a blueprint for protecting democracy and a study of the contributions of migrants to various cultures. Movie fans can read about the history of Asians in theater and cinema and a surprising look at the politics of Marvel movies. Many of the books, including new… read more about Warm Up With Winter Books From Duke Authors »

The Department of Philosophy is sad to announce that professor emeritus David H. Sanford has passed away. A Duke faculty member since 1970, Sanford earned his Ph.D. from Cornell in 1966 and previously taught at Dartmouth College. He was widely known in the field for his work on causation and inference in "If P, Then Q: Conditionals and the Foundations of Reasoning," first published in 1989. He also wrote on induction, the logic of vagueness, among other things. Memorial posts at Daily Nous and Leiter Reports contain… read more about In Memoriam: David Sanford (1937-2022) »

When Ásta was a teenager, people always asked her if she was going to be an opera singer or an actress. It’s what happens when your father is a theater director. But the Icelandic philosopher was clear: “No,” she would say, “I’m going to be a farmer.” The dream began when the Reykjavik native worked on a small farm near Katla, an active volcano on the southern coast of Iceland. Ásta (Icelanders don’t use surnames) remembers it as gorgeous, surrounded by glaciers and the sea. She spent her days tending the 27 cows — they… read more about Duke’s 3 New Philosophers Help Make Sense of Our Lives »

The first round of University-Wide Collaboration Grants on Climate Change will fund eight Duke University faculty teams to lay the groundwork for new research on climate change and its impacts. The teams will investigate topics including planetary engineering, climate justice, low-carbon heating and cooling methods, lithium mining, agricultural histories, coastal resilience, and the impacts of extreme weather on forest ecosystems. One of the project teams – "Planetary Engineering, Planetary Ethics" – includes three… read more about Eight Faculty Teams Awarded University-Wide Collaboration Grants on Climate Change »

A new program for Duke sophomores – which launched earlier this year – will include two Philosophy courses this fall: “The Good Life: Religion, Philosophy, and Life’s Ultimate Concerns” (PHIL 214) and “Science and Society” (PHIL 280S). The two courses are part of the new “Transformative Ideas” program that is designed to promote open and civil cross-disciplinary dialogue on questions and big ideas that change lives, link cultures and shape societies around the world. “The Good Life” – taught by instructors from Philosophy… read more about Philosophy Courses Among Fall “Transformative Ideas” Offerings »

From China to modern Palestine, from Renaissance Europe to Reagan’s America of the 1980s, new books by Duke faculty will take you on a fascinating journey through time and space. We present a selection of books published in late 2021. Many of the books, including new editions of previous titles, can be found on the “Duke Authors” display shelves near the circulation desk in Perkins Library. Some are available as e-books for quick download. Most can also be purchased through the Gothic Bookshop. [Duke Today will provide… read more about Dance, Spirituality and Black Art: Books by Duke Authors Warm This Winter  »

Qiu Lin won the award for “Wang Daiyu 王岱舆 (1570-1660) on the Non-Ultimate ( wuji ⽆极) and the Great-Ultimate ( taiji 太极): an Islamic Makeover”. Here is an abstract of the paper: Scholars have written much about the Catholic missionary Matteo Ricci (1552–1610) and his attempts to make Christianity and Confucianism palatable to each other. Yet, although Muslim communities have a long-established presence in China, we know little about the philosophical system that blended Islam and Confucianism in the heart-minds of… read more about Duke Philosophy Ph.D Candidate, Qiu Lin, wins 2021 Aristotle Prize »

A new program for Duke sophomores – which launches in Spring 2022 – will include a Philosophy course focused on happiness, success and our beliefs. “The Good Life: Religion, Philosophy, and Life’s Ultimate Concerns” (PHIL 214) is part of the new “Transformative Ideas” program that is designed to promote open and civil cross-disciplinary dialogue on questions and big ideas that change lives, link cultures and shape societies around the world. “The Good Life” – taught by instructors from Philosophy, Religious Studies, Duke… read more about Philosophy Course Among New "Transformative Ideas" Offerings »

Via dailynous.com, "Felipe De Brigard, associate professor of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience at Duke University, and leader of the Imagination and Modal Cognition Lab, has been awarded a grant of $988,602 for his project, “Forgetting and Forgiving: Exploring the Connections between Memory and Forgiveness.” The grant is from the John Templeton Foundation. The project takes philosophical and empirical approaches to conceptual and psychological questions related to forgiveness, emotions, and memory, focusing on… read more about Duke University Associate Professor of Philosophy, Psychology and Neuroscience, Felipe De Brigard, awarded $988,602 grant for his project "Forgetting and Forgiving: Exploring the Connections Between Memory and Forgiveness" »