Diverse Philosophies Club, Undergraduate Conference, & Undergraduate Journal

Weekly Discussions

The William & Mary Diverse Philosophies Club provides an exciting atmosphere in which students have the opportunity to interact with one another and faculty outside the context of a classroom environment. Its aim is to dedicate discussion to valuable ideas in philosophy, with a special emphasis on underrepresented work, new perspectives, and diverse authorship. Open to majors and non-majors alike, the Diverse Philosophies Club allows students to pursue their philosophical interests wherever they may take them, including areas beyond the scope of classes typically offered at W&M. Activities include weekly discussions, lectures by guest philosophers, and a picnic each semester where students challenge faculty in a friendly game of volleyball.

2024-25 meetings. Please contact one of the co-facilitators (see below) to get on the e-mail list, which will keep you up with the topics and meetings from week-to-week.

2024-25 Diverse Philosophies Club Co-Facilitators

Student Co-Facilitators:

Eric Huang
Suzanna Wright

Faculty Advisors:

Bill D'Alessandro (main advisor), Email: [[wmdalessandro]]
Laura Guerrero (co-advisor), Email: [[lpguerrero]]

Annual Student Conference

The Diverse Philosophies Club hosts the Annual William & Mary Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, a tradition which started in March 2011. The Conference is a one- or two-day long event in which students from W&M and other universities share papers, receive critical feedback from each other and faculty, and enjoy a keynote lecture by a notable guest philosopher.

13th Undergraduate Philosophy Conference

The 13th Annual Undergraduate conference was held in-person on April 2, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in James Blair 223.

Conference Schedule (Click here for the schedule in PDF format.)

10:00-10:40 a.m. Juntong Gu, "God, Time, and Motion in Aristotle's Metaphysics"

10:50-11:30 a.m. Daniel Kalish, "Mozi: An Analysis of Consequentialism with Chinese Characteristics"

1:20-2:00 p.m. Adam Klein, "Exploring the Depths of Existence: Kierkegaard and Nietzche's Philosophies on Morality and the Meaning of Life"

2:10-2:50 p.m. Yee Shao, "A Reformulation of Serious Situationist Threats"

3:00-4:30 p.m. Keynote Lecture - Dr. Philip Yaure (Virginia Tech) "Seizing Citizenship: Frederick Douglass's Abolitionist Republicanism"

Undergraduate Journal - Structure: Journal of Metaphysics and Ontology

Structure is William & Mary's student-run, online, undergraduate journal of metaphysics and ontology. Structure is a student-run enterprise, with undergraduates at William & Mary handling all facets of the journal's operation. Please send any questions to structure.philosophy@gmail.com.

Our student journal defines metaphysics and ontology as the study of reality and being respectively. We intend to include work in any philosophical tradition or topic involving the nature of things, the meaning of being, or generally ‘what is’.

The submission deadline for the second issue of Structure has passed. The deadline was March 12, 2022, 11:50 p.m. EST.

Topic: Metaphysics or ontology
- Examples: Contemporary issues or history of philosophy
  in metaphysics or ontology, applications of metaphysical
  or ontological theories to other areas.
Length: Minimum of 2,500 words
Format: Any citation style, Word Document

Email us your paper, stripped of identifying information, at structure.philosophy@gmail.com.

Past issues of Structure are available here: Volume 1 (2021) (pdf), Volume 2 (2022) (pdf).

Keeping Up With Events

Interested students are encouraged to e-mail the co-facilitators to be added to the listserv. You should also check out the department's Facebook page for the latest updates on philosophy club events.

See the event calendar for this year's department colloquia, which philosophy club members are encouraged to attend.