In 1978, Professor of Philosophy Fred Stoutland ’54 initiated a series of yearly retreats where St. Olaf and Carleton philosophers welcome a prominent philosopher to share and discuss significant works in progress. The first retreats were held in Fred’s cabin on Otter Tail Lake in northern Minnesota.
Though the venue has changed, the department has continued this tradition with his support ever since, and it remains a vibrant part of our intellectual life.
Annual Saint Olaf-Carleton Faculty Philosophy Retreat
Sept. 15-17, 1978: Roy Elveton and Kent Bendall on evaluating the philosophy department curriculum. Otter Tail Lake.)
April 11-13, 1980: Richard Rorty on pragmatism, mirror of nature, etc. Otter Tail Lake.
Oct. 12-14, 1980: Alan Donagan on The Theory of Morality. Otter Tail Lake.
Sept. 18-20, 1981: Hubert Dreyfus on Heidegger and Foucault. Otter Tail Lake.
Nov. 5-7, 1982: Stoutland (on Action), Maria Lugones, Karen Warren, and Hilary Putnam. Otter Tail Lake.
Sept. 23-25, 1983: Fred Dretske on epistemology. Otter Tail Lake.
May 3-5, 1985: Ian Hacking on History and Philosophy of Science. Otter Tail Lake.
April 18-20, 1986: Michael Root on evaluating the philosophy program. Otter Tail Lake.
Sept. 19-21: Alan Donagan on action theory. Otter Tail Lake.
Sept. 18-20, 1987: John Haugeland on Heidegger, etc. Otter Tail Lake.
Oct. 7-9, 1988: Steve Stich on cognitive science. Otter Tail Lake.
Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 1989: Michel Devitt on realism. Otter Tail Lake.
Sept. 21-23, 1990: Peter Kivy on aesthetics. Otter Tail Lake.
Oct. 4-6, 1991: Keith Yandell on Indian philosophy. Otter Tail Lake.
Oct. 18-20, 1992: Nick Sturgeon on moral realism. Otter Tail Lake.
Sept. 23-25, 1994: Galen Strawson on mental reality and determinism. Tofte.
Sept. 15-17, 1995: Eliot Sober on evolution and ethics. Tofte.
April 12, 1997: Robert Audi and Terry Horgan on ethics and cognitive science. Mt. Olivet Retreat Center.
April 17, 1999: Keith Lehrer on epistemology and self-trust. Villa Maria Retreat Center.
Jan. 8, 2000: Susan Haack on epistemology and ethics. St. James Hotel, Red Wing.
Sept. 22-24, 2000: Thomas Hill on recent Kantian ethics. Round Lake, Wisconsin.
May 12, 2001: Julia Annas on ancient ethics and religion. St. James Hotel, Red Wing.
Oct. 5-7, 2001: Noel Carroll on Aesthetics and Ethics. Round Lake, Wisconsin.
Oct. 11-13, 2002: Robert Pippin on Henry James, etc. Round Lake.
Feb. 14, 2004: Meredith Williams on Wittgenstein. St James Hotel, Red Wing.
May 14-16, 2004: Jorge L Garcia on Philosophy and Race. Round Lake.
Oct. 7-9, 2005: Gary Iseminger on The Aesthetic Function of Art. Round Lake.
Oct. 2-4, 2009: Susan R Wolf on Meaning in Life. Round Lake.
2010-11, Christian Ethics: Ed Santurri, Doug Schuurman, Charles Taliaferro (Fall), William Werpehowski (spring). Northfield.
October 7-9, 2011: Don Garrett on Hume. Round Lake
September 28-30, 2012: Philip Kitcher on Pragmatic Naturalism. Stillwater.
September 27-29, 2013: Alexander Nehamas on friendship. Stillwater.
September 26-28, 2014: Linda Zagzebski on Exemplarism. Stillwater.
September 25-27, 2015: John Greco on Testimonial Knowledge. Stillwater.
October 7-9, 2016: Sally Haslanger on Ideology. Stillwater.
September 22-24, 2017: Katja Vogt on desiring the Good. Stillwater.
November 9-11, 2018: Jonathan Lear. Hudson, WI.
September 27-29, 2019: Miranda Fricker on Blame and Forgiveness. Hager City.
March 22-23, 2021: Meghan Sullivan on the Love Imperative. Virtually.
September 30- October 2, 2021: Dan Garber on Early Modern Philosophy. Hager City.
September 30-October 2, 2022: Ásta on Metaphysics of the social: Gender, Sex, Race. Hager City.
September 29 – October 1, 2023: John Richardson on Thoreau and Heidegger. Hager City.
October 25-27, 2024: Dean Zimmerman on metaphysics of mind and time. Stillwater.