The First Ever Buffalo State Lyceum

Thanks to the support of the American Philosophical Association, the Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO), and the Buffalo State College Philosophy Department, the first ever Buffalo State Lyceum took place from July 8-12, 2019! With a diverse group of 7 students from across the Buffalo metropolitan area, from 7th grade through 12th grade, we had a successful week, with students becoming more aware of how philosophical ideas impact the world around them, as well as how they were already philosophers discussing issues of ethics, epistemology, and political philosophy. This culminated in student presentations on philosophical issues that they found intriguing, ranging from the morality of Thanos wiping half of life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and whether or not Vision, the android, should be considered a person to a discussion of sports commentators stretching the truth within their claims.

“The conversations I heard were at the level of my seminars!” - Jason Grinnell, Associate Professor and Chair, Philosophy Department (Buffalo State)