SAS Dean’s Forum: Change of Speaker

Harry G. Frankfurt—professor emeritus of philosophy, at Princeton University, and author of The Reasons of Love and On Bullshit —replaces the original Dean’s Forum speaker, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who canceled his appearance due to medical reasons.  The Forum will be held at the originally scheduled date, time and place: March 23, 4:30 p.m. in Irvine Auditorium.

Dr. Frankfurt is one of the nation’s leading authorities on moral philosophy, the history of early modern philosophy and philosophy of mind. In his New York Times bestseller, On Bullshit Dr. Frankfurt explains how members of our society have become so adept at bullshitting and why it matters. He discusses the manipulative persuasion performed by politicians and shares how starved most Americans are for “straight talk.” His current work centers on exploring the relevance of love and non-moral goals and standards to issues concerning practical reason.

Initiated in 1984 to celebrate the richness of the arts and sciences, the Dean’s Forum offers the University community and the general public the opportunity to meet with leading intellectual figures who exemplify the liberal arts tradition. Some of the previous Dean’s Forum speakers included: Brian Greene, David McCullough, Craig Venter, Tom Wolfe, John Updike, Maxine Hong Kingston, Garry Wills, Floyd E. Bloom, Jonathan Miller, Donald C. Johanson, Arthur Schlesinger, Philip Roth, Toni Morrison, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Governors Pierre S. duPont of Delaware and Gerald Baliles of Virginia, Gerald Edelman, Baruch Blumberg, James Watson, Susan Sontag, and Arthur Miller.

During the Dean’s Forum, several undergraduate and graduate students are honored as Dean’s Scholars in recognition of their outstanding academic performance and intellectual promise.

The Dean’s Forum is free and open to the public. For more information, call (215) 898-5262.