Philosophical theories of agency and responsibility have focused primarily on actions and activities. But, besides acting, we often omit to do or refrain from doing certain things. Omitting or refraining, like acting, can have consequences, good and bad. And we can be praiseworthy or blameworthy for omitting or refraining. However, omitting and refraining are not simply special cases of action; they require their own distinctive treatment. 

Philosophers defend theories of what well-being is but ignore what psychologists have learned about it, while psychologists learn about well-being but lack a theory of what it is. In The Good Life, Michael Bishop brings together these complementary investigations and proposes a powerful, new theory for understanding well-being. 

The Department of Philosophy Presents 2015 Philosophy and Science of Self-Control Conference Sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation and the William H. and Lucyle T. Werkmeister Endowment

A conference on Evolutionary Ethics will be held at Florida State University, March 27 and 28, 2015. The conference is organized by Michael Ruse (Florida State University) and Robert J. Richards (University Of Chicago).

Over the last decade, "New Atheists" such as Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens have pushed the issue of atheism to the forefront of public discussion. Yet very few of the ensuing debates and discussions have managed to provide a full and objective treatment of the subject.

Congratulations to FSU graduate student Mirja Pérez de Calleja for winning the 2014 Philosophical Explorations Essay Prize for her paper "Cross-world luck at the time of decision is a problem for compatibilists as well". Further details are available here.

We are proud to announce that Florida State University has been selected by the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities to host the 2015 National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference (NUBC), scheduled for April 10th- 12th 2015.

Congratulations to Michael Bishop for being interviewed on FSU Headlines Radio about his new book, The Good Life: Unifying the Philosophy and Psychology of Well-Being.

The Department of Philosophy at Florida State University will host its fourth annual Free Will, Moral Responsibility, and Agency Conference from September 18-19, 2015.

On March 27, 2015, FSU will host the 10th Annual Society for Women's Advancement in Philosophy (S.W.A.P.) Graduate Student Conference, with a keynote address from Charles W. Mills (Northwestern University). The program is here.