York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) has received a generous donation of $100,000 over five years from Benn Barrantes, a distinguished graduate of the Faculty’s undergraduate program in philosophy. This significant gift will establish the Barrantes Prizes in Philosophy, aimed at recognizing exceptional student essays that explore the intersection of philosophical thinking and social impact across a diverse range of topics.
The Barrantes Prizes will annually award three senior undergraduate students in their third or fourth year, as well as three graduate students pursuing a master’s or PhD degree who have produced outstanding essays that showcase how philosophical perspectives can contribute to addressing contemporary social issues. Submissions can be essays completed as part of a course requirement or as individual works, with students permitted to submit one paper per academic year.
“Studying philosophy has allowed me to see, hear, and touch systems differently in my life and career that I would have not otherwise,” explains Barrantes. “Philosophy is the connective tissue that binds all else, that which supports, contorts, and confuses the standard and surface of things. It has inspired in me the ability and daringness to seek novel ways to provide optimal support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I am thankful to the Philosophy Department at LA&PS for giving me the opportunity to promote the utility and fruitfulness of philosophy to its students.”
The adjudication of the Barrantes Prizes will be overseen by the Curriculum and Awards Committee for undergraduate prizes and the Scholarships Committee for graduate prizes. The faculty members serving on these committees will adjudicate the awards. The top prize in each category is $5,000.
“Our philosophy program and courses have always provided students with distinctive skills and perspectives of use for tackling just about any kind of social problem,” shares Michael Giudice, Chair, Department of Philosophy. “This generous gift which has made possible the new Barrantes Philosophy Prizes is wonderful recognition of the value of philosophy and will encourage and inspire both undergraduate and graduate students to find creative ways of applying their philosophical outlooks and energies to pressing social issues.”
On Wednesday, Nov. 20, a launch event took place at York’s Keele Campus to celebrate Barrantes for his generous donation and to give students information about the prizes. This philanthropic gesture demonstrates Barrantes’s dedication to inspiring philosophy students to utilize their abilities and viewpoints in tackling important societal issues. His extraordinary gift will elevate the academic and social contributions of LA&PS students in the field of philosophy.
To learn more about the Barrantes Prizes in Philosophy, students can contact the Department of Philosophy.