Philosophy Department Launches New Dialogue Series

Vancouver, BC – Langara’s Department of Philosophy is thrilled to announce the return of the popular Philosophers’ Jam series for its third season.

Hundreds of enquiring minds have attended the series at the College over the past two seasons to discuss and debate a host of philosophical issues. The fall 2013 season has a distinct focus on definitions of freedom and will open with a discussion on privacy. In this digital age, where personal information is considered "the new oil of the internet", where does the value of privacy fit? What happens to our democracy when people are more and more transparent (for safety) and government is more and more secret (for security)? The topic will be explored by lawyer Micheal Vonn, who is the policy director for the BC Civil Liberties Association.

"We're very excited to have such dynamic speakers participate in the Philosophers' Jam series," said this season's event coordinator Alex Boston, an instructor from Langara's Philosophy Department. "We've had some incredible discussions result from the previous events, and I'm sure this one won't disappoint."

The inaugural Philosophers’ Jam of the fall 2013 season takes place on Thursday, September 19, at 7:00 pm at Langara College’s Main Campus (100 West 49^th Avenue). The sessions include a short presentation by the guest speaker followed by an open dialogue period. All events are free and open to the public.

The fall 2013 schedule will consist of three events, featuring the following topics and speakers:

• September 19: Does Privacy Still Matter?
  Speaker: Micheal Vonn, BC Civil Liberties Association

• October 17: Would You Want to Live in Utopia?
  Speaker: John Russell, Langara Philosophy Department

• November 21: Positive and Negative Liberty
  Speaker: Tim Christie, Fraser International College

All Philosophers’ Jams are held on Thursdays and begin at 7:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, including full topic descriptions and speaker bios, visit: www.langara.bc.ca/philosophers-jam.