Patten lecture: John Searle "The Logical Structure of Human Civilization"

Searle is a leading philosopher of the mind, language and society. He is considered one of the pioneers of speech act theory and a major contributor to the philosophy of mind and action, especially the theory of intentionality and consciousness. In recent decades, his study of language has led him in the direction of social philosophy -- the theory of collective action and intention, and the nature and structure of social reality.

The William T. Patten Foundation

The William T. Patten Foundation provides funds to bring distinguished scholars or practitioners in the sciences, the humanities and the arts to the Bloomington campus for a week. The foundation has brought over 150 scholars of extraordinary national and international distinction since 1937, making it the oldest lecture series at Indiana University. Lecturers are chosen by a campus-wide faculty committee.

William T. Patten graduated in 1893 with a Bachelor of Arts in history from IU. He then moved to Indianapolis and led a successful career in real estate and politics. He created an endowment for the university in 1931, with the purpose of bringing renowned leaders to the Bloomington campus.