The Department of Philosophy recently wrapped up a two-week, one-credit hour course taught by Dr. Ömer Orhan Aygün entitled “Istanbul or Constantinople? Powers of Place in Ancient Greece, the Ottoman Empire, and Recent Phenomenology.” Dr. Aygün, who is an assistant professor at Galatasaray University in Turkey, gave students an intensive look at space and place and how these concepts impacted religious, artistic, and cultural practices as exemplified by Byzantine icons and Ottoman miniatures.

For students interested in the genre of science fiction, the department is also offering a class on Philosophy and Science Fiction. Covering a wide range of issues through this accessible and interesting medium, undergraduate students tackle different philosophical topics through the comparison of philosophy and science fiction works. The class, which has so far been very popular with students, has students engaged in lively discussions on ethics, the existence of God, and whether machines can think.