Clockwise from right, Bill Porter, Lisa Hoelle, and Emily Kelahan.

Three Illinois Wesleyan Students Present at Mid-South Philosophy Conference

March 6, 2003

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Three Illinois Wesleyan University sophomores were selected to present papers at the Mid-South Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, which was held Feb. 21-22 at the University of Memphis.

Lisa Hoelle of La Salle, Ill., Emily Kelahan of Granite City, Ill., and Bill Porter of Snellville, Ga., were among only 20 undergraduate students from throughout the country whose papers were chosen by the selection committee for presentation during the conference.

Hoelle’s paper, "Cavell and Clarke: An Analysis of the Conditional Correctness of Skepticism," analyzed two prominent philosophers’ critiques of Descartes’ "dream argument."

In her paper, Kelahan examined the writing of philosophers Barry Stroud and Michael Williams on issues of skepticism.

Porter’s paper also examined Stroud’s writing but in contrast with the positions taken by Ludwig Wittgenstein.

The conference is sponsored by the University of Memphis and Oklahoma City University.