The Colloquium in Legal, Political, and Social Philosophy was founded by Ronald Dworkin and Thomas Nagel in 1987. It is the original model for all of NYU Law’s colloquia. The Colloquium is now convened by Liam Murphy, Samuel Scheffler, and Jeremy Waldron, two of whom will host in any given year.
Each week on Thursday a legal theorist or moral or political philosopher presents a paper to the group, which consists of students, faculty from the Law School and other departments of NYU, and faculty from other universities. The choice of subject is left to the paper’s author, within the general boundaries of the Colloquium’s subjects, and the discussions are therefore not connected by any structured theme for the term as a whole, though in past years certain central topics were canvassed in several weeks’ discussion. The Colloquium aims, not to pursue any particular subject, but to explore new work in considerable depth and so allow students to develop their own skill in theoretical analysis.
Each week’s paper is posted at least a week in advance on this page, and participants are expected to have read it.
The public sessions of the colloquium will take place on Thursdays, in Lester Pollock Colloquium Room, Furman Hall, 9th floor, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Colloquium 2021
Professors Liam Murphy and Samuel Scheffler
September 2nd
Kim Ferzan, University of Pennsylvania, Law
Rethinking Credit for Time Served
September 9th
Liam Murphy, NYU
International Responsibility for Global Environment Harm: Collective and Individual
September 17th ( Friday 2.00-5.00)
Moshe Halbertal, NYU
September 23rd
Jeff McMahan, Oxford
September 30th
Emma Kaufman, NYU Law
October 7th
Rick Pildes, NYU Law
October 14th
Samuel Scheffler, NYU
October 21st
Steve Darwall, Yale, Philosophy
October 28th
Chris Kutz, University of California, Berkeley, Law
November 4th
Anthony Appiah, NYU
November 11th
Johann Frick, University of California, Berkeley, Philosophy
November 18th
Teresa Bejan, Oxford
December 2nd
Ruth Chang, Oxford
The Colloquium in Legal, Political, and Social Philosophy was founded by Ronald Dworkin and Thomas Nagel in 1987. It is the original model for all of NYU Law’s colloquia. The Colloquium is now convened by Liam Murphy, Samuel Scheffler, and Jeremy Waldron, two of whom will host in any given year.
Each week on Thursday a legal theorist or moral or political philosopher presents a paper to the group, which consists of students, faculty from the Law School and other departments of NYU, and faculty from other universities. The choice of subject is left to the paper’s author, within the general boundaries of the Colloquium’s subjects, and the discussions are therefore not connected by any structured theme for the term as a whole, though in past years certain central topics were canvassed in several weeks’ discussion. The Colloquium aims, not to pursue any particular subject, but to explore new work in considerable depth and so allow students to develop their own skill in theoretical analysis.
Each week’s paper is posted at least a week in advance on this page, and participants are expected to have read it.
The public sessions of the colloquium will take place on Thursdays, in Lester Pollock Colloquium Room, Furman Hall, 9th floor, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Colloquium 2021
Professors Liam Murphy and Samuel Scheffler
September 2nd
Kim Ferzan, University of Pennsylvania, Law
Rethinking Credit for Time Served
September 9th
Liam Murphy, NYU
International Responsibility for Global Environment Harm: Collective and Individual
September 17th ( Friday 2.00-5.00)
Moshe Halbertal, NYU
September 23rd
Jeff McMahan, Oxford
September 30th
Emma Kaufman, NYU Law
October 7th
Rick Pildes, NYU Law
October 14th
Samuel Scheffler, NYU
October 21st
Steve Darwall, Yale, Philosophy
October 28th
Chris Kutz, University of California, Berkeley, Law
November 4th
Anthony Appiah, NYU
November 11th
Johann Frick, University of California, Berkeley, Philosophy
November 18th
Teresa Bejan, Oxford
December 2nd
Ruth Chang, Oxford
The Colloquium in Legal, Political, and Social Philosophy was founded by Ronald Dworkin and Thomas Nagel in 1987. It is the original model for all of NYU Law’s colloquia. The Colloquium is now convened by Liam Murphy, Samuel Scheffler, and Jeremy Waldron, two of whom will host in any given year.
Each week on Thursday a legal theorist or moral or political philosopher presents a paper to the group, which consists of students, faculty from the Law School and other departments of NYU, and faculty from other universities. The choice of subject is left to the paper’s author, within the general boundaries of the Colloquium’s subjects, and the discussions are therefore not connected by any structured theme for the term as a whole, though in past years certain central topics were canvassed in several weeks’ discussion. The Colloquium aims, not to pursue any particular subject, but to explore new work in considerable depth and so allow students to develop their own skill in theoretical analysis.
Each week’s paper is posted at least a week in advance on this page, and participants are expected to have read it.
The public sessions of the colloquium will take place on Thursdays, in Lester Pollock Colloquium Room, Furman Hall, 9th floor, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Colloquium 2021
Professors Liam Murphy and Samuel Scheffler
September 2nd
Kim Ferzan, University of Pennsylvania, Law
Rethinking Credit for Time Served
September 9th
Liam Murphy, NYU
International Responsibility for Global Environment Harm: Collective and Individual
September 17th ( Friday 2.00-5.00)
Moshe Halbertal, NYU
September 23rd
Jeff McMahan, Oxford
September 30th
Emma Kaufman, NYU Law
October 7th
Rick Pildes, NYU Law
October 14th
Samuel Scheffler, NYU
October 21st
Steve Darwall, Yale, Philosophy
October 28th
Chris Kutz, University of California, Berkeley, Law
November 4th
Anthony Appiah, NYU
November 11th
Johann Frick, University of California, Berkeley, Philosophy
November 18th
Teresa Bejan, Oxford
December 2nd
Ruth Chang, Oxford
The Colloquium in Legal, Political, and Social Philosophy was founded by Ronald Dworkin and Thomas Nagel in 1987. It is the original model for all of NYU Law’s colloquia. The Colloquium is now convened by Liam Murphy, Samuel Scheffler, and Jeremy Waldron, two of whom will host in any given year.
Each week on Thursday a legal theorist or moral or political philosopher presents a paper to the group, which consists of students, faculty from the Law School and other departments of NYU, and faculty from other universities. The choice of subject is left to the paper’s author, within the general boundaries of the Colloquium’s subjects, and the discussions are therefore not connected by any structured theme for the term as a whole, though in past years certain central topics were canvassed in several weeks’ discussion. The Colloquium aims, not to pursue any particular subject, but to explore new work in considerable depth and so allow students to develop their own skill in theoretical analysis.
Each week’s paper is posted at least a week in advance on this page, and participants are expected to have read it.
The public sessions of the colloquium will take place on Thursdays, in Lester Pollock Colloquium Room, Furman Hall, 9th floor, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Colloquium 2021
Professors Liam Murphy and Samuel Scheffler
September 2nd
Kim Ferzan, University of Pennsylvania, Law
Rethinking Credit for Time Served
September 9th
Liam Murphy, NYU
International Responsibility for Global Environment Harm: Collective and Individual
September 17th ( Friday 2.00-5.00)
Moshe Halbertal, NYU
September 23rd
Jeff McMahan, Oxford
September 30th
Emma Kaufman, NYU Law
October 7th
Rick Pildes, NYU Law
October 14th
Samuel Scheffler, NYU
October 21st
Steve Darwall, Yale, Philosophy
October 28th
Chris Kutz, University of California, Berkeley, Law
November 4th
Anthony Appiah, NYU
November 11th
Johann Frick, University of California, Berkeley, Philosophy
November 18th
Teresa Bejan, Oxford
December 2nd
Ruth Chang, Oxford
The Colloquium in Legal, Political, and Social Philosophy was founded by Ronald Dworkin and Thomas Nagel in 1987. It is the original model for all of NYU Law’s colloquia. The Colloquium is now convened by Liam Murphy, Samuel Scheffler, and Jeremy Waldron, two of whom will host in any given year.
Each week on Thursday a legal theorist or moral or political philosopher presents a paper to the group, which consists of students, faculty from the Law School and other departments of NYU, and faculty from other universities. The choice of subject is left to the paper’s author, within the general boundaries of the Colloquium’s subjects, and the discussions are therefore not connected by any structured theme for the term as a whole, though in past years certain central topics were canvassed in several weeks’ discussion. The Colloquium aims, not to pursue any particular subject, but to explore new work in considerable depth and so allow students to develop their own skill in theoretical analysis.
Each week’s paper is posted at least a week in advance on this page, and participants are expected to have read it.
The public sessions of the colloquium will take place on Thursdays, in Lester Pollock Colloquium Room, Furman Hall, 9th floor, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Colloquium 2021
Professors Liam Murphy and Samuel Scheffler
September 2nd
Kim Ferzan, University of Pennsylvania, Law
Rethinking Credit for Time Served
September 9th
Liam Murphy, NYU
International Responsibility for Global Environment Harm: Collective and Individual
September 17th ( Friday 2.00-5.00)
Moshe Halbertal, NYU
September 23rd
Jeff McMahan, Oxford
September 30th
Emma Kaufman, NYU Law
October 7th
Rick Pildes, NYU Law
October 14th
Samuel Scheffler, NYU
October 21st
Steve Darwall, Yale, Philosophy
October 28th
Chris Kutz, University of California, Berkeley, Law
November 4th
Anthony Appiah, NYU
November 11th
Johann Frick, University of California, Berkeley, Philosophy
November 18th
Teresa Bejan, Oxford
December 2nd
Ruth Chang, Oxford
The Colloquium in Legal, Political, and Social Philosophy was founded by Ronald Dworkin and Thomas Nagel in 1987. It is the original model for all of NYU Law’s colloquia. The Colloquium is now convened by Liam Murphy, Samuel Scheffler, and Jeremy Waldron, two of whom will host in any given year.
Each week on Thursday a legal theorist or moral or political philosopher presents a paper to the group, which consists of students, faculty from the Law School and other departments of NYU, and faculty from other universities. The choice of subject is left to the paper’s author, within the general boundaries of the Colloquium’s subjects, and the discussions are therefore not connected by any structured theme for the term as a whole, though in past years certain central topics were canvassed in several weeks’ discussion. The Colloquium aims, not to pursue any particular subject, but to explore new work in considerable depth and so allow students to develop their own skill in theoretical analysis.
Each week’s paper is posted at least a week in advance on this page, and participants are expected to have read it.
The public sessions of the colloquium will take place on Thursdays, in Lester Pollock Colloquium Room, Furman Hall, 9th floor, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Colloquium 2021
Professors Liam Murphy and Samuel Scheffler
September 2nd
Kim Ferzan, University of Pennsylvania, Law
Rethinking Credit for Time Served
September 9th
Liam Murphy, NYU
International Responsibility for Global Environment Harm: Collective and Individual
September 17th ( Friday 2.00-5.00)
Moshe Halbertal, NYU
September 23rd
Jeff McMahan, Oxford
September 30th
Emma Kaufman, NYU Law
October 7th
Rick Pildes, NYU Law
October 14th
Samuel Scheffler, NYU
October 21st
Steve Darwall, Yale, Philosophy
October 28th
Chris Kutz, University of California, Berkeley, Law
November 4th
Anthony Appiah, NYU
November 11th
Johann Frick, University of California, Berkeley, Philosophy
November 18th
Teresa Bejan, Oxford
December 2nd
Ruth Chang, Oxford
The Colloquium in Legal, Political, and Social Philosophy was founded by Ronald Dworkin and Thomas Nagel in 1987. It is the original model for all of NYU Law’s colloquia. The Colloquium is now convened by Liam Murphy, Samuel Scheffler, and Jeremy Waldron, two of whom will host in any given year.
Each week on Thursday a legal theorist or moral or political philosopher presents a paper to the group, which consists of students, faculty from the Law School and other departments of NYU, and faculty from other universities. The choice of subject is left to the paper’s author, within the general boundaries of the Colloquium’s subjects, and the discussions are therefore not connected by any structured theme for the term as a whole, though in past years certain central topics were canvassed in several weeks’ discussion. The Colloquium aims, not to pursue any particular subject, but to explore new work in considerable depth and so allow students to develop their own skill in theoretical analysis.
Each week’s paper is posted at least a week in advance on this page, and participants are expected to have read it.
The public sessions of the colloquium will take place on Thursdays, in Lester Pollock Colloquium Room, Furman Hall, 9th floor, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Colloquium 2021
Professors Liam Murphy and Samuel Scheffler
September 2nd
Kim Ferzan, University of Pennsylvania, Law
Rethinking Credit for Time Served
September 9th
Liam Murphy, NYU
International Responsibility for Global Environment Harm: Collective and Individual
September 17th ( Friday 2.00-5.00)
Moshe Halbertal, NYU
September 23rd
Jeff McMahan, Oxford
September 30th
Emma Kaufman, NYU Law
October 7th
Rick Pildes, NYU Law
October 14th
Samuel Scheffler, NYU
October 21st
Steve Darwall, Yale, Philosophy
October 28th
Chris Kutz, University of California, Berkeley, Law
November 4th
Anthony Appiah, NYU
November 11th
Johann Frick, University of California, Berkeley, Philosophy
November 18th
Teresa Bejan, Oxford
December 2nd
Ruth Chang, Oxford
The Colloquium in Legal, Political, and Social Philosophy was founded by Ronald Dworkin and Thomas Nagel in 1987. It is the original model for all of NYU Law’s colloquia. The Colloquium is now convened by Liam Murphy, Samuel Scheffler, and Jeremy Waldron, two of whom will host in any given year.
Each week on Thursday a legal theorist or moral or political philosopher presents a paper to the group, which consists of students, faculty from the Law School and other departments of NYU, and faculty from other universities. The choice of subject is left to the paper’s author, within the general boundaries of the Colloquium’s subjects, and the discussions are therefore not connected by any structured theme for the term as a whole, though in past years certain central topics were canvassed in several weeks’ discussion. The Colloquium aims, not to pursue any particular subject, but to explore new work in considerable depth and so allow students to develop their own skill in theoretical analysis.
Each week’s paper is posted at least a week in advance on this page, and participants are expected to have read it.
The public sessions of the colloquium will take place on Thursdays, in Lester Pollock Colloquium Room, Furman Hall, 9th floor, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.
Colloquium 2021
Professors Liam Murphy and Samuel Scheffler
September 2nd
Kim Ferzan, University of Pennsylvania, Law
Rethinking Credit for Time Served
September 9th
Liam Murphy, NYU
International Responsibility for Global Environment Harm: Collective and Individual
September 17th ( Friday 2.00-5.00)
Moshe Halbertal, NYU
September 23rd
Jeff McMahan, Oxford
September 30th
Emma Kaufman, NYU Law
October 7th
Rick Pildes, NYU Law
October 14th
Samuel Scheffler, NYU
October 21st
Steve Darwall, Yale, Philosophy
October 28th
Chris Kutz, University of California, Berkeley, Law
November 4th
Anthony Appiah, NYU
November 11th
Johann Frick, University of California, Berkeley, Philosophy
November 18th
Teresa Bejan, Oxford
December 2nd
Ruth Chang, Oxford
Registration for the conference is free, but required. To register, click here. Note that, as of now, NYU still has several COVID safety protocols in place. In order to be allowed to enter an NYU building, proof of full vaccination against COVID, including a booster shot, must be uploaded to NYU’s COVID portal in advance of the visit. Upon submitting your registration, you will receive an email with instructions for how to upload your proof of vaccination. Your registration will not be valid until you have received an email of approval from NYU Campus Safety informing you that you have been cleared for building access. Moreover, a high-quality mask (such as a disposable surgical mask, an N95, KN95, or KN94) must be worn at all times while indoors. Because of the extra time required to process the vaccination documentation, registration for the conference will close on April 29; no exceptions. It may be that NYU will loosen its mask requirement between now and the conference; we will post an update if that happens. For now, you should only register for the conference if you are firmly planning to attend, and if you are prepared to comply with the indicated requirements.
Saturday, May 14
9:30–11:10 Speaker: Allen Wood (Indiana University, Bloomington)
“Kant on Friendship”
Commentator: Colin Marshall (University of Washington)
Chair: Paul Guyer (Brown University)
11:25–1:05 Speaker: Gary Hatfield (University of Pennsylvania)
“The Subjectivity of Visual Space: Descartes and After”
Commentator: Nick Stang (University of Toronto)
Chair: Andrew Chignell (Princeton University)
2:55–4:35 Speaker: Pat Kitcher (Columbia University)
“Kant’s Conscience and Freud’s Superego”
Commentator: Karl Schafer (University of Texas at Austin)
Chair: Sally Sedgwick (Boston University)
4:50–6:30 Speaker: Hannah Ginsborg (University of California, Berkeley)
“Self-consciousness, Normativity, and the Agential Perspective”
Commentator: Stefanie Grüne (Free University, Berlin)
Chair: Karl Ameriks (University of Notre Dame)
Sunday, May 15
9:30–11:10 Speaker: Rolf-Peter Horstmann (Humboldt University Berlin)
“Hegel on Subjects as Objects (according to the Phenomenology of Spirit)”
Commentator: Scott Jenkins (University of Kansas)
Chair: Michelle Kosch (Cornell University)
11:25–1:05 Speaker: Richard Moran (Harvard University)
“Swann’s Medical Philosophy: Pessimism and Solipsism in Proust”
Commentator: Nick Riggle (University of San Diego)
Chair: Chris Prodoehl (Barnard College)
2:55–4:35 Speaker: Tyler Burge (University of California, Los Angeles)
“Kant on Primacy of Practical Reason”
Commentator: Anja Jauernig (New York University)
Chair: Christopher Peacocke (Columbia University)
4:50–6:30 Speaker: Béatrice Longuenesse (New York University)
“A Philosophical Journey”
Chair: Don Garrett (New York University)
This talk explores the reflexive nature of consciousness, which consists primarily in the fact that a state of consciousness has a reflexive relation to the subject who has that state, so that the subject can typically be aware of itself as having that state. Comparing Kant’s, Fichte’s, and selected contemporary analytic theories of this reflexivity shows that there is a crucial difference in the way the relation between form (or mode) and content of a state of consciousness is conceived. The first part examines Kant’s formal theory of consciousness: reflexivity is understood not in terms of a self-referential content resulting from a reflection on the state of the subject, but as the universal transcendental form that any content must have in order to be representationally significant and potentially conscious to the subject. The second part examines Fichte’s departure from Kant in his theory of a self-positing consciousness: in the original act of self-positing, the mere form of reflexivity is turned into a self-referential content that determines the subject as an object from the absolute standpoint of consciousness. The third part examines analytic theories that explain the reflexivity (or what is often called the subjective character) of consciousness on a model of mental indexicality. These theories tend to reduce reflexivity to an objective constituent of content that, although often implicit, can be read off from the subject’s contextual situatedness in nature. In conclusion, Kant’s theory can be understood as a moderate, human-centered kind of perspectivism that navigates between Fichtean absolute subjectivity and a naturalist absolute objectivity.
Registration is free but required. A registration link will be shared via email with our department mailing lists a few weeks before the event. Please contact Jack Mikuszewski at jhm378@nyu.edu if you did not receive a registration link.
The Philosophy Department provides reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Requests for accommodations should be submitted to philosophy@nyu.edu at least two weeks before the event.