| Affiliations: | N/A |
| Project Leader: | David Anderson davidjanderson@tamu.edu Philosophy |
| Faculty Mentor: | Dr. Michael Hand, Ph.D. |
|
Meeting Times:
|
Saturday 1:00-2:45PM |
|
Team Size:
|
8
|
| Open Spots: | 3 |
|
Special Opportunities:
|
Participants will have the option of writing an essay for possible publication in the Undergraduate Philosophy Journal as well as presenting a poster at the Aggie Research Expo.
|
|
Team Needs:
|
Participants do not need to belong to any particular religion or hold any particular religious or nonreligious beliefs. Participants need to be willing to read a variety of historical, philosophical, and religious texts. Participants need to commit to reading three books collectively and commit to reading one article or book chapter on their own each week during the term. Participants will also need to commit to virtually attending a weekly zoom meeting with the team (Times TBD) |
|
Description:
|
This project continues the foundational work laid by undergraduates during summer 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of many contemporary social problems such as pervasive distrust of experts/authorities, lack of cooperation between individuals and communities, economic instability, and the so-called “loneliness epidemic.” This project aims to examine past “forms of life” (FOL) for philosophical and religious models of community. One such FOL is monasticism. Growing literatures in fields such as economics, anthropology, and philosophy are taking an interest in monastic phenomena including monasteries’ economic and ecological sustainability, institutional longevity, and social-political organization. Not only have various monastics been importantly involved in the history of philosophy, monastic phenomena are philosophically interesting in their own right, even if one is not religious themselves. Participants will help a current philosophy PhD student read through and create outlines and learning modules based on books and articles from a variety of fields including philosophy, religious studies, economics, and anthropology. Participants will also build on the research questions of past participants in the project. |