Cameron Fioret

Cameron FioretProgram while at Windsor: BA [H] Philosophy

Graduating Year: 2014

Current Life Project: Entering my second year of a PhD in Philosophy at the University of Guelph

 

Q: How has philosophy helped you in your everyday life?

A: It’s made me a very critical thinker, leading me to question many things. I think it has influenced my ethical code, and how I treat people. I think it has improved my life greatly.

Q: How has philosophy helped you in your career?

A: It has led me into my current pursuit of a PhD. In any career, the value of critical thinking skills is/should be exalted, and such an area is philosophy’s bread and butter, so to speak.

Q: What about the University of Windsor Philosophy Department stood out to you the most?

A: I loved getting to know professors, and working with them closely, due to the department being small. The department never felt impersonal.

Q: Were you an active part of the community here? If so, how, and why was this valuable?

A: I was an active member in my third and fourth years. I presented papers at the 2013 and 2014 philosophy undergrad conferences, and co-organized the 2014 conference. I consider such experience valuable because presenting material is a part of academia, and speaking in front of others is a transferable skill to many other jobs. Co-operating with others in the organization of a conference is valuable when building skills in time management and organization.

Q: Are there any lessons you learned in retrospect?

A: Why would you recommend studying philosophy at the University of Windsor? I value it for being a personal and relatively small department. I would recommend the department for the quality of professors as well, as most professors I had were quite good, and some were great!

Q: Being out of the cave, do you wish you could go back in? Is it too bright outside? Yes, sometimes I wish I could embrace blissful ignorance, but I’ve crossed the Rubicon here.

A: I was part of the University of Windsor’s Outstanding Scholars Program in Philosophy, and I eventually worked with Prof. Tindale (work is acknowledged on the Acknowledgements section of his book on argumentation entitled The Philosophy of Argument and Audience Reception, published by Cambridge University Press, on pg. XI. I graduated in 2014, winning a Board of Governor’s Medal in Philosophy for highest graduating average in Philosophy. Later in 2014, I went to Western University for an MA in Philosophy, and in the Fall of 2017 I will be starting my second year of a PhD in Philosophy at the university of Guelph.

My time in the department was revelatory and transformative. I think I grew, and changed, for the better through my 4 years in the department. Many professors in the department helped me significantly in my professional pursuits (Prof. Tindale, Prof. Neculau, Prof. Guarini). I consider Prof. Tindale a friend to this day, and we still get sushi occasionally!