Diotima: The Marist Undergraduate Philosophy Journal
A Letter from the Editors
Dear Reader,
With immense excitement, we are happy to present volume VI of Diotima: The Marist Undergraduate Philosophy Journal. The topics in this issue range greatly, but we are glad to present such a breadth of philosophical thought, from Marxist cultural critiques to what makes something funny. Most of the papers are taken from Marist’s 2023 Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, which was hosted last spring. The keynote speaker from that conference, Dr. C. Thi Nguyen (University of Utah), was interviewed for this issue. It was a great opportunity to hear Dr. Nguyen talk about what he called “value collapse” in person. His lecture was insightful, and relevant to what colleges value as an institution, as well as how to view systems of morality generally. It was entertaining to talk to Dr. Nguyen over Thai food after his talk, as he elaborated on his work on games and agency and his enjoyment of the newest boygenius album (he concluded his talk with one of their song lyrics). His interview serves as a peek into how he thinks, so we a re thankful that he took the time to respond to our questions. This issue is also notable because it is the unveiling of the new title of our philosophy journal: Diotima . Who better to represent a philosophy journal than Diotima, a teacher of Socrates, often considered the “father” of Western philosophy? Her explanation of love in Plato’s Symposium points towards the highest form of love being a pursuit of knowledge. In the broadest sense, the equating of love and the pursuit of knowledge, gets at one of the common motivations for philosophical thought. This search is something that we want to promote in this journal. Critical thought, open dialogues, and deeper understanding are essential to all philosophy and it is our mission to present some of the best undergraduate versions of this in our journal.
So, please enjoy reading and get to thinking!
Sincerely,
Lily Jandrisevits and Gianna Nicosia
Volume VI (2023)
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