The Department of Philosophy is pleased to announce the schedule for the Fall 2026 Dialogue Series
Unless otherwise indicated, all events will take place in Comal 116.
Week IV
Positivity – The Triumph and the Tyranny
| Monday, Oct 12 | 12:30p.m. | William James and Positive Psychology | Craig Hanks (Philosophy) and the Dialogue Class |
| Monday, Oct 12 | 5:00 p.m. | Positivity: What Could Be Bad About That? | ΦΣΤ Tau Talks with Rebekah Ross (Philosophy) |
| Tuesday, Oct 13 | 12:30p.m. | The Value of Travel: “Good Cop, Bad Cop” | Vaughn Baltzly (Philosophy) and Colleen Myles (Geography & Environmental Science) |
| Wednesday, Oct 14 | 12:30 p.m. | Toxic Positivity | Dialogue Class with Craig Hanks (Philosophy) |
| Thursday, Oct 15 | 2:00 p.m. | Heartache and Positivity in the Bhagavad Gita | Ellen Stansell (Philosophy) |
Week V
Digital Capitalism
| Monday, Oct 19 | 12:30p.m. | Aesthetic Life under Digital Capitalism | Dialogue Class with Anthony Cross (Philosophy) |
| Monday, Oct 19 | 5:00 p.m. | Lolcows: From Chan to Catastrophe | ΦΣΤ Tau Talks With Ottie Eli and Sebastian Pena (Phi Sigma Tau officers) |
| Tuesday, Oct 20 | 12:30p.m. | LLMs: Humanity Killer or Just a Job Killer? | David Hitz (Co-Founder of NetApp; Hitz Foundation) With Apocalypticism Class |
| Wednesday, Oct 21 | 12:30 p.m. | Who's Training Who?: A Discussion of the Impacts of Artificial Intelligence Systems on Human Development | Kayla Elam, Benjamin Pierson and the Dialogue Class |
| Wednesday, Oct 21 San Marcos Public Library | 3:30 p.m. | Choosin’ Texas: Music and the Vision of Texas Culture Today | Joe Kotarba (Sociology) |
| Thursday, Oct 22 | 12:30 p.m. | AI is Here, Now: Understanding U.S. Consumption, Adoption and Consumer Perceptions | Kristen Sussman (Journalism and Mass Communications) |
Week VI
Genes
| Monday, Oct 26 | 12:30p.m. | Genes as Property | Jack Richmond & the Dialogue Class |
| Monday, Oct 26 | 5:00 p.m. | Gene Therapy: Ethical Considerations | ΦΣΤ Tau Talks |
| Tuesday, Oct 27 | 12:30p.m. | Genetic Choices and the Non-Identity Problem | Eric Gilbertson (Philosophy) |
| Wednesday, Oct 28 | 12:30 p.m. | The Afterlife of a Human Cell | Saurav Kumar & the Dialogue Class |
| Wednesday, Oct 28 San Marcos Public Library | 3:30 p.m. | Genes as a Window on Behavioral Diversity | Diego Correa (Psychology, University of Texas at Austin) |
| Thursday, Oct 29 | 11:00 a.m. | Eugenics, Dysgenics, and Monotheisms | Rebecca Raphael (Philosophy & Religious Studies) with Philosophical Issues Class |
Week VII
Authenticity
| Monday, Nov 2 | 12:30p.m. | The Death of Authenticity and Social Media | Rhea Gursky, Mia Reyes & the Dialogue Class |
| Monday, Nov 2 | 5:00 p.m. | Keeping it Real: Unpacking Authenticity | ΦΣΤ Tau Talks Will Gold (MAAPE student) & Diego Schleppe (undergrad philosophy major) |
| Tuesday, Nov 3 | 2:00 p.m. | Morality, Authenticity, Integrity | Ivan Marquez (Philosophy) |
| Wednesday, Nov 4 | 12:30 p.m. | On Why Everything I Say Is True | Juan Manuel Cortez & the Dialogue Class |
| Wednesday, Nov 4 San Marcos Public Library | 3:30 p.m. | Authentic Vocal Style: Voice, Speech, and Identity | Kate Glasheen (Theatre, Dance, Film) |
| Thursday, Nov 5 | 12:00 p.m. | How Am I Not Myself? Algorithms and Existential Authenticity | Annalisa Turner and Theresa Hickey (Philosophy) |
| Thursday, Nov 5 | 2:00 p.m. | Achievement and Meaning in Life | Norma Velasco (Philosophy) and Malik Frank (undergraduate, Philosophy and Religious Studies) |
Week VIII
Friendship and Loneliness
| Monday, Nov 9 | 12:30p.m. | Is Loneliness Necessary for Happiness? | Dylan Gattis & the Dialogue Class |
| Monday, Nov 9 | 5:00 p.m. | Balancing Connection & Professional Boundaries | ΦΣΤ Tau Talks Ottie Eli, PST President |
| Tuesday, Nov 10 | 11:00 a.m. | Empowering Elders and Persons with Dementia: Strategies to Combat Loneliness and Boredom | Chris Johnson (Sociology) |
| Wednesday, Nov 11 | 12:30 p.m. | Loneliness, Belonging, and Human Connection | Caleb Perry & the Dialogue Class |
Talk of the Times and Tau Talks are open forums on current events and philosophical issues led by members of Phi Sigma Tau, the Philosophy honor society.
The Acorn Symposium Dialogues are co-sponsored by the Department of Philosophy, the Philosophy Dialogue Series, and The Acorn: Philosophical Studies in Pacifism and Nonviolence.
The Philosophy Dialogue Series Program Endowment supports the Philosophy Dialogue Series and its outreach activities at the San Marcos Public Library.
Co-sponsors of the Philosophy Dialogue Series are the American Democracy Project, College of Liberal Arts, Common Experience, Gina Weatherhead Dialogue Fund, Alliance, Step Up For State, Sustainability Studies, The Alkek Library, Humanities Texas, National Endowment for the Humanities, ΦΣΤ (Phi Sigma Tau, the philosophy honor society), University Seminar, The New York Times, Honors College, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Vice President for Student Affairs.
If you require accommodations due to a disability in order to participate, please contact 512.245.2285 at least 72 hours in advance of the event.
Texas State University is a tobacco free campus.
