Students, Faculty, and Alumnus Attended MidSouth Philosophy Conference; Presented Paper

Six Westminster College students and their adviser attended the annual MidSouth Philosophy Conference at Rhodes College in Memphis Feb. 24-26.

Dr. David Goldberg, Westminster associate professor of philosophy, presented "What Is It That Returns: Nietzsche's Eternal Recurrence." 

The paper examines the two traditional interpretations of Nietzsche's concept of Eternal Recurrence - the hypothetical and the cosmological - both of which suggest that the "what" that returns is a sequential circularity of events.  Goldberg substantiates that both interpretations come into conflict with Nietzsche's thought.  He offers an alternative to the "what that returns," a solution that coincides with Nietzsche's admonition that a philosopher is not entitled to "isolated acts."

Goldberg also commented on "The Accidental Optimist: Schopenhaurer's Moral Philosophy as a Way of Life," a paper by James Dunson of Xavier University.

Goldberg, who has been with Westminster since 2002, earned undergraduate and master's degrees from The Pennsylvania State University and Ph.D. from Duquesne University.

Westminster students attending were John Allison, Sarah Avery, Michael Gorman, Wesley LaQuaglia, Jaclyn Miller, and Maddison Welton. 

Also attending and joining the group was 2011 Westminster graduate Adam Griffith.

Contact Goldberg at (724) 946-7153 or email for additional information.

Front (l-r): Sarah Avery, Maddison Welton, Michael Gorman, Jackie Miller. Back (l-r): Wesley LaQuaglia, Adam Griffith, John Allison