Global Stoa

Each third Thursday in November is UNESCO's World Philosophy Day! In establishing it, UNESCO highlighted the importance of philosophy, especially for young people, underlining that “philosophy is a discipline that encourages critical and independent thought and is capable of working towards a better understanding of the world and promoting tolerance and peace.”

For the 2026 event, the City College of New York will feature Prof. Kristin Andrews, from CUNY’s Gradate Center, discussing “Societies of the Wild.”

Scientific research has found that all animals have things to learn, and that much of their learning is scaffolded by other members of their community. From research on cultural differences between the meaning of chimpanzee calls to the discovery that fruit fly females learn who to mate with from observing their sisters, animals across existing life appear to have culture, socially learned information and patterns of behavior that differentiates groups of same species.

Prof. Andrews shows that some animal groups don’t just share cultural traditions, but also social norms, unstated but socially enforced rules about which behaviors are permitted or forbidden. Drawing on research from social philosophy and the nature of social norms and norm change, she demonstrates how the science of animal culture leads us to the conclusion that many animals also have social norms.

NOTE: bring a valid form of ID in order to be admitted on CCNY's campus. The event will take place in the North Academic Building (entrance at the corner of Amsterdam and 138th St.), room 1/203. Subways 1 (137th St.) or A, C, B, D (145th St.).