The new year kicks off with a fascinating lecture by Prof. Dr. Andreas Vrahimis, a renowned philosopher from Cyprus, who will be joining the Department of Philosophy at the University of Paderborn as a Humboldt Fellow in 2025. With his research focus on the history of analytic philosophy, Vrahimis brings a perspective that includes key figures from the Vienna Circle as well as philosophers like Bergson, Horkheimer, and Husserl.

On Thursday, Vrahimis will deliver his inaugural lecture titled “Susan Stebbing on Pragmatism vs. Nouveau Positivisme” as part of the philosophy colloquium. The lecture will start at 4 PM in Lecture Hall O2 and is open to all interested attendees. The lecture will focus on the philosopher Susan Stebbing, analyzing her work in the context of pragmatism and positivism. Vrahimis will particularly highlight Stebbing’s critique of Schiller’s pragmatist theory of truth, underscoring her significant yet often underappreciated contributions to early analytic philosophy.

In his early publications on Susan Stebbing’s philosophy, Vrahimis explores the concept of voluntarism. Stebbing defines voluntarism as the view that the will is more fundamental than the intellect. She distinguishes between different voluntarist methods, such as the intuitive approach to knowledge, the appeal to extra-rational decisions, and the action-based approach.

Andreas Vrahimis is a member of the international research platform New Voices, which is dedicated to studying and promoting female thinkers in philosophy. His special interest lies in early 20th-century philosophy and integrating previously neglected female philosophers into the philosophical canon. His commitment to diversified philosophical research is evident in his active participation in conferences and his numerous publications, including a contribution on voluntarism in Susan Stebbing’s philosophy in the Encyclopedia of Concise Concepts (ECC).

In collaboration with Dr. Michele Vagnetti, Dr. Vrahimis is organizing the New Voices Winter Term Talk Series 2025, a lecture series focused on women in the history of analytic philosophy and philosophy of science. The series will open on January 15, 2025, with Vrahimis’ talk titled “Stebbing’s critique of Schiller’s pragmatism”.