“The town lay prostrate, at the mercy of the plague. There was nothing to do but ‘mark time.'” – Albert Camus, The Plague
Dates: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday from June 1 to 19, 2020
Time: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Fee: No cost
Contact: Dr. Claire Katz, Camp Director
During the 2020 meeting of the Aggie School of Athens Philosophy Camp for Teens, students and camp facilitators met and discussed philosophical topics through an online only format. During these Zoom sessions, participants engage in philosophical topics relevant to the Covid-19 pandemic. Discussions were cultivated in smaller groups, or “breakout rooms,” for the majority of our meetings. These collaborative sessions produced a space where campers could test out and articulate their observations about the very strange world in which they now find themselves. Even though our technologically mediated sessions were not the norm for camp, we were still able to provide a space for critical discussions and reflections.
2020 Aggie School of Athens: Summer of Pandemic
Week 1: Introductions and Ancient Philosophy
Topics include:
- Plato, Aristotle, and the Good Life
- Building and caring for friendships
- Respectful disagreement
Week 2: Social Contract and its Dissenters
Topics include:
- John Locke
- Thomas Hobbes
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Charles Mills
Week 3: Individualized Instruction and Discussion
Topics include:
- Animal Ethics
- Politics and Art
- Freedom and Agency
- Philosophy of Education
Faculty Staff:
Dan Conway, Texas A&M University
Charles Carlson, Texas A&M University, Office of the Provost
West Gurley, Blinn College (Brenham)
Claire Katz, Texas A&M University
Graduate Staff:
David Anderson, Texas A&M University
Haley Burke, Texas A&M University
Victoria Green, Texas A&M University
Micheal Portal, Texas A&M University
Undergraduate Staff:
Kenji Blum, Texas A&M University
Olivia Conway, University of Texas
Jadyn Driver, Texas A&M University
Major Eason, Swarthmore
Griffin Ford, Clark University