July 1, 2008

Faculty member selected to present at 22nd World Congress of Philosophy

Heather Reid, professor and chair of philosophy at Morningside College, was one of about 150 U.S. scholars selected to present a paper at the 22nd World Congress of Philosophy that will take place July 30-Aug. 5 in Seoul, Korea. Altogether, 2,500 people from all over the world will be participating in the congress.

Reid actually had two papers accepted for presentation and publication in an abstract book. In the ancient philosophy category, she will present “The Socratic Agon: Turning Philonikia into Philosophia in Plato’s Dialogues.” In the philosophy of sport category, she will present “Olympic Epistemology: The Athletic Roots of Philosophical Reasoning.”

Reid has been at Morningside since 1996. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She has received international recognition for her expertise on the philosophical foundations of the Olympic Games and has served as president of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport. Reid is author of “The Philosophical Athlete” and numerous scholarly articles and book chapters on ancient Greek philosophy, sport philosophy and Olympic studies.

The World Congresses of Philosophy are organized every five years by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies, in collaboration with one of its member societies, which organizes the event. This will be the first time a World Congress of Philosophy will be held in Asia, and it will be hosted by the Korean Philosophical Association. The goal of the event is to call attention to the importance of philosophical reflection on philosophy itself, to reflect on the tasks and functions of philosophy in the contemporary world and to rethink the nature, roles and responsibilities of philosophy and of philosophers in the age of globalization.