On Wednesday, April 19, students and faculty gathered once again in Norman Smith Hall on the University of Maine campus to attend the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions’ final event of its Spring 2023 “Sustainability Talks” series. The talk, entitled “Field Philosophy as Engaged Research: Practice, History, and Theory,” was presented by Adam Briggle, an associate professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of North Texas.
Briggle spoke of the opportunity space for philosophy, as disciplines like STEM and economics have been increasingly dominating the world.
“The goal of the field philosophy project is to help understand, articulate, and assess the ethics and values dimensions that are going on with whatever project you are interested in,” Briggle explained.
Field philosophy can be distinguished from applied philosophy in that it requires one to actually participate in intellectual work so that they take what they have learned back to their communities to reflect and improve upon, rather than simply observing a work and offering answers to its questions without getting overly involved.
Briggle’s presentation was one of 10 talks the Mitchell Center hosted during the spring semester as part of its series focusing on sustainable ideas and practices. For over a decade, “Sustainability Talks” have been a valuable addition to the university’s event calendar. The center also presents a broader annual talk on current sustainability efforts as many around the world seek new solutions to environmental challenges.
Throughout the spring semester, UMaine’s “Sustainability Talks” have discussed a variety of complex issues, as well as opportunities concerning climate action relationships, food waste reduction methods, ways to deal with drought within the state of Maine and much more. All talks from the 2022-2023 school year are available for leisurely viewing on the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions Youtube page.
This series will return in the fall semester with a new lineup of presentations. For more information on the series and the many opportunities offered by the center, visit https://umaine.edu/mitchellcenter/.
