Recently, the Morehouse College Department of Philosophy and Religion hosted its first-ever MAUC-UP (Morehouse Atlanta University Center Undergraduate Philosophy) Conference, welcoming students and faculty from across the Atlanta University Center (AUC) for a day of rigorous philosophical exchange and community building.
Held at Morehouse College, the inaugural conference brought together nearly fifty participants representing Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University. Students presented original research, engaged with peer commentators, and participated in lively question-and-answer sessions that extended conversations well beyond the formal presentations. The event marked an important step toward strengthening undergraduate philosophical scholarship within the AUC community.
Illya Davis, Director of Freshmen & Seniors Academic Success and Professor of Philosophy at Morehouse, delivered the keynote address. Presenting work in progress on absurdity, Davis drew on historical influences including Thomas Nagel and Søren Kierkegaard. His central thesis explored the value of music as a meaningful response to the experience of absurdity. The talk prompted an engaging and thoughtful Q&A session, setting the tone for the day’s intellectual energy.
The conference featured three undergraduate research presentations, each followed by formal commentary and audience discussion.
Theodore Fowler, a senior philosophy major from Morehouse College, presented “Beyond Belief: A Critique of Smith’s Concept of Dehumanization.” Fowler examined David Livingstone Smith’s account of dehumanization, challenging Smith’s claim that dehumanization is constituted primarily by attitudes rather than representations. Fowler argued that this framework is too narrow and should be expanded to include both dehumanizing attitudes and representations. Comments were provided by Morehouse senior Dejaun Wright, who encouraged Fowler to further clarify several key conceptual distinctions. A lively discussion followed.
Nadia Rae Marriott, a senior philosophy major from Spelman College, presented “The Effect of AI Companions on Disembodied Individuals.” While acknowledging the potential benefits of AI companionship, Marriott raised concerns about the ways it may exacerbate disembodiment for socially isolated individuals. She suggested that AI companions should be viewed, at most, as temporary solutions rather than permanent replacements for human connection. Commentary by Morehouse sophomore Don-Trae’ Davis pushed the conversation further, proposing that some individuals may require longer-term AI engagement to experience meaningful benefits. The session concluded with a forward-looking discussion about the ethical prospects and perils of AI companionship.
Derrick Prince, a sophomore English major from Morehouse College, presented “Whose Life? Whose Body? A Defense of Moral Autonomy in Abortion.” Prince offered a sustained critique of Don Marquis’s “future like ours” (FLO) argument against abortion. Challenging the FLO criterion for personhood, Prince defended grounding moral personhood in consciousness and psychological properties. Commentary from Morehouse junior Clarence Sanders questioned the sufficiency of psychological criteria for personhood, prompting the most spirited Q&A session of the day as students and faculty debated competing accounts of moral status.
MAUC-UP 2026 demonstrated both the intellectual depth of AUC undergraduates and the value of creating sustained spaces for scholarly exchange within historically Black institutions. Students left energized by the opportunity to present original research and engage in rigorous philosophical dialogue in a supportive, culturally grounded academic environment.
The Department of Philosophy and Religion looks forward to building on the success of this inaugural conference and hosting a second MAUC-UP in the coming year.