Philosophy club allows room for discussion

"In years past we had students who really took an interest in philosophy. Five students ended up taking enough classes they should have received a degree but Viterbo didn't offer a philosophy major at that time," Assistant Professor of Philosophy Jason Howard told Lumen. "Of those five students, two went on to graduate schools in philosophy."

Both Howard and Assistant Professor of Philosophy Larry Harwood are responsible for creating the philosophy major. "The schools foundation is in the liberal arts. Philosophy is essential to liberal arts education. Liberal arts institutions historically have always contained philosophy as a major," Howard said.

"Viterbo allowing us (Harwood and Howard) to develop a philosophy major better represents Viterbo as a liberal arts institution," Howard said.

"There are two philosophy majors and about 24 philosophy minors," Howard said. One of the two majors is senior Adam Alexander, who is double majoring in philosophy and psychology, from Shawano, Wis., and is president of the Philosophy Club.

"The meetings are usually small," Alexander said. ‘The club consists of 23 members and is for people who care about discussing current issues affecting human nature." Viterbo has had a Philosophy Club for three years. It meets every Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Franny's. 

 "Sometimes the meeting's agenda will be to discuss a philosophical article or film that is posted on our blackboard page," Alexander said. "Is Google making us stupid?" or "Computers don't argue" are two of the articles posted on the blackboard page and discussed at the Thursday night meetings.

"These articles have fun titles; however, they are bringing to light important issues involving humanity," Alexander said. "We also discuss more serious philosophical articles, what most people would think of as homework." Examples of more serious articles are Jean-Paul Sartre's "Existentialism is a Humanism" and an excerpt from Niccolo Machiavelli's, "The Prince and the Discourses.

"The easiest part of starting the club was getting Jason to agree to be the adviser," Alexander said. "Honestly, the paperwork seems like a bureaucratic ritualism. I have to fill out a form from the Student Government Association (SGA) that's arbitrarily different every year."

Alexander isn't the first person on campus to be in charge of the Philosophy Club. "I started the first Philosophy Club with Richard Morehouse. We had one meeting a month and then the club faded out and disappeared," Howard said.

"Then Adam took an initiative to run the Philosophy Club," Howard said. "I go to about two meetings a year. I also work with the club for planning trips to philosophy conferences in Steven's Point, Wis. Last year a few club members attended a conference in Oshkosh, Wis., with me."

 "I have found getting the clubs existence recognized on campus is a greater challenge than I thought it would be," Alexander said. "I really wish I could better communicate to people that we're interested in hearing what everyone cares about. Our assumption is that discussing things people find meaningful might be a useful way to spend some time, not that people need to argue for their positions on the meaning of life."

The Philosophy Club has set up tables at club fairs to recruit more members. Alexander will also mention the club to students in his philosophy classes. "If I meet someone who seems interested in philosophy I will always mention the club to them," he said.

"I go to every meeting that I'm able to. The club is so much fun because I learn how to open my mind to new approaches of thinking," said senior Rebecca Jorgensen, a bio-physiology major from Camp Douglas, Wis. "I think of philosophy as chess. A challenging game that is not only fun but also exercises your brain."