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2020 Summer (Pandemic Summer)

“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

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