Sophie Archer and Joseph Schear: "How Can Reason be Natural?"

The SF State Department of Philosophy is excited and honored to welcome Dr. Sophie Archer (Cardiff) and Dr.Joseph Schear (Oxford). Profs. Schear and Archer will present their paper "How Can Reason be Natural?" followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

Everyone is invited to join Prof. Archer, Prof. Schear and Philosophy faculty and students after the talk for a department hosted reception.

Abstract: Most philosophers want an understanding of our rational animality, our responsiveness to reasons as reasons, to be understood as a natural phenomenon. But how can it be understood as such? 

Our aim in this talk is first to formulate and sharpen this question. We think McDowell's appeal to 'second nature' to ease the seeming tension between rational freedom and nature, and his accompanying 'transformative' conception of human mindedness, is attractive in many respects. But it is ultimately an unsatisfying approach. But what's better? We propose to investigate some alternative options.