Today's Events | Lawrence Hall, The Robert Ho Lecture Room, Lawrence 105
This talk concerns the role of faith in what you do and what you believe.Lara Buchak, a philosophy professor at Princeton University, argues that having faith in a claim means acting on that claim without further evidence, and remaining committed to acting on that claim even in the face of evidence against it. Buchak shows that having faith can be rational in certain circumstances, and that those who lack faith stand to miss out on important goods. Buchak then applies this view of faith to two puzzles about belief. The first is how to explain the phenomenon of traditions or paradigms in scientific, religious, and moral life, and the phenomenon of conversion from one tradition to another. The second is whether it can ever be rational to defer to an authority rather than our own reason.Buchak's research interests include decision theory, social choice theory, epistemology, ethics, and the philosophy of religion. Her book Risk and Rationality (2013) concerns how an individual ought to take risk into account when making decisions. It vindicates the ordinary decision-maker from the point of view of even ideal rationality. A significant upshot of her view is that individuals with different attitudes toward risk—considered as different ways to weigh worse scenarios against better ones—can all be rational.Her research following the book has focused on applications of her view to ethics, arguing that we ought to defer to individuals’ risk-attitudes in biomedical research; that we ought to weigh worse scenarios very heavily in setting climate policy; and that we ought to care a great deal about the interests of the worse-off when acting ethically.Another ongoing project is on the nature and rationality of faith, both in the religious and mundane sense. She argues that faith requires stopping one's search for evidence and making a commitment -- and maintaining one's commitment in the face of counterevidence. She details when such faith is rational, and how it is beneficial to human life.Other topics Buchak has written on include group decision-making; the relationship between assigning probability to a hypothesis and believing that hypothesis outright; and the nature of free will.This lecture is sponsored by The M. Holmes Hartshorne Memorial Lecture Fund.

Today's Events | Chapel House
Lie down in a darkened Meditation Hall and let the sounds of the bowl chimes, rain stick and ocean drum lead you into a place of deep healing.

Today's Events | Chapel House
Walk the forest trails to reclaim some inner calm and perspective. Walking in silence with a group of peers is a way to be mindful of the natural environment around you and discover how it can awaken your mindfulness.

Today's Events | Willow Path, Near Case-Geyer Library
Colgate Hello and the Resources for Improving Staff Experiences (RISE) BIPOC employee resource groups are co-leading a Walking Club at Colgate.We meet at the following times:First Thursdays of the month: 8 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.Second, third (or other middle) Thursdays: 12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.Last Thursdays: 4:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.For September, we will be walking the following loop:Beginning at Willow Path closest to the library, head toward Little Hall, turn left past Ryan Studio to head up to Peter’s Glen staircase. Continue to the path in front of Stillman Hall heading in the direction of Gate House. Continue downhill toward the Campus Safety Office. Make a slight left onto Hamilton Street; turn left onto the Oak Drive Extension heading toward the Admission Office. Finally, turn right onto College Street and return to Willow Path. [1.2 miles; anticipated walking time 28 minutes]Please note: If you have already registered, please click the registration link below and click the "Edit your response" link to add our additional dates to your availability.Amari Simpson and Christian Vischi serve as your walking guides, and we look forward to you being able to join us!A Word About Walking Stepping away from your desk and joining others in Colgate's Walking Club is an important practice because it provides a much-needed mental break, boosts productivity and creativity, and offers a wonderful opportunity to socialize and connect with colleagues.Why Walk Breaks?Recharge your energy: a short walk can provide an instant energy boost, helping you stay productive and focused throughout the day.Mental clarity: stepping away from your desk and enjoying fresh air can clear your mind and reduce stress.Social connection: walking with others is a great opportunity to connect with colleagues, make new friends, and build a sense of community.Improved health: regular walks can contribute to better physical fitness and overall health.

Today's Events | Persson Hall, Auditorium
Jasmine V. Bailey is the author of Alexandria, winner of the Central New York Book Award, Disappeared, and That Salt on the Tongue to Say Mangrove, a translation of Silvina López Medin’s Esa sal en la lengua para decir manglar. She is the winner of Michigan Quarterly Review’s Lawrence Goldstein Prize, New Ohio Review’s NORward Prize, Ruminate Magazine’s VanderMey Nonfiction Prize, and the Longleaf Press Chapbook Prize. She has been a Fulbright fellow in Argentina, an Olive B. O’Connor fellow at Colgate University, and a fellow at the Vermont Studio Center.Matthew Cooperman is a poet, educator, editor and ecocritic, Matthew Cooperman is the author of, most recently, the atmosphere is not a perfume it is odorless (Free Verse Editions/Parlor Press, 2024) and Wonder About The, winner of the Halcyon Prize (Middle Creek, 2023) as well as NOS (disorder, not otherwise specified), w/Aby Kaupang, (Futurepoem, 2018), Spool, winner of the New Measure Prize (Free Verse Editions/Parlor Press, 2016), and other books. His ninth book, Time, & Its Monument, is forthcoming from Station Hill Press. A Founding Editor of the exploratory prose journal Quarter After Eight, Cooperman received his PhD in English from Ohio University. He is Co-Poetry Editor for Colorado Review, and Professor of English at Colorado State University. He lives in Fort Collins with his wife, the poet Aby Kaupang, and their children.Vivek Narayanan is the author of the poetry collection: After (New York Review Books/HarperCollins India, 2022) and The Kuruntokai and its Mirror (Hanuman Editions, 2024). His work has appeared in Poetry, The Paris Review, The Penguin Book of the Prose Poem and The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poetry. He has held fellowships at the Radcliffe Institute and at the New York Public Library and teaches in the MFA Poetry program at George Mason University.Support for this event, which will be hosted by Peter Balakian, is provided by the Parshley Christ Endowment for Living Writers. The course and program are led by faculty in the Department of English and Creative Writing with generous support from the Olive B. O'Connor Fund as well as the President and the Provost/Dean of the Faculty. A signature program of Colgate University since 1980, Living Writers is a master class in how works of literature come to be.

Today's Events | 101, Ho Science Center
Benjamin Nathans, University of Pennsylvania