The Matthews Lectures are held biennially, on a philosophical matter of general interest, and are open to the public. In addition to the public lecture, the Matthews Lecturer gives a presentation on their academic research to members of the department, typically the day after the Matthews Lecture.
Upcoming Lecture
The next Matthews Lecture has not yet been scheduled.
Past Lectures
Matthews Memorial Lecture 2023: Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò (Georgetown University)
Friday, November 3, 2023, 4:00 pm
Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University, will deliver the 2023 Matthews Memorial Lecture on Friday, November 3, 2023, 4PM-6PM, South College W245.
Matthews Memorial Lecture 2021: Jason Stanley (Yale)
Thursday, October 14, 2021, 4:00 pm
Professor Jason Stanley (Yale) will deliver the 2021 Matthews Memorial Lecture on October 14, 2021, at the Old Chapel. The lecture is titled "Fascism as a Social Kind." (Note that this event, originally scheduled for Fall 2020, was postponed due to the COVID pandemic.) A recording of the lecture is now available.
Matthews Memorial Lecture 2019: Miranda Fricker (CUNY Graduate Center)
Thursday, April 4, 2019, 4:00 pm
Professor Miranda Fricker (CUNY Graduate Center) will deliver the 2019 Matthews Memorial Lecture. The title of the talk is "Ambivalence About Forgiveness."
Matthews Memorial Lecture: Charles W. Mills (1951–2021)
Thursday, November 3, 2016, 4:00 pm
Professor Charles W. Mills (CUNY Graduate Center) will deliver the inaugural Matthews Memorial Lecture. The title of the talk is "Race and Justice."
About the Matthews Lectures
In 2015, we established the Gary Matthews Endowment in Philosophy to honor our late colleague, Gareth Matthews. Widely known for his academic work in ancient philosophy, ethics, and the philosophy of religion, Gary was also committed to taking philosophy outside the academy. He was a pioneer in teaching philosophy to young children, working with schools around the world, and he put his ethical values into practice as an activist in movements for peace and social justice.
The endowment enables us to biennially bring to campus an eminent philosopher whose research honors the memory of Gary’s academic achievements and social engagement. The Matthews Lecturer will give both a public lecture on a philosophical matter of general interest and a seminar on their academic research.