Philosophy in the Wild

Philosophy in the Wild is a project run by Maja Sidzinska, Mike Gadomski and myself dedicated to exploring the potential for philosophical inquiry outside its typical technological, built environment. We host annual outdoor conferences where participants camp for multiple nights and present on environmental philosophy during the day. Past keynote speakers include Karen Kovaka, Brendan Cline, Romy Opperman, Ryan Johnson, and Blake Francis.

For several years, we collaborated with the Public Philosophy Journal on a special issue, which can be freely accessed here. Within, you can find my article “Let’s Rewild Philosophy” which presents the philosophical case for a more wild flavor of philosophy.

For the summer of 2026, our sixth year of PhilWild, we organized two events. From July 23-26, we met in the Wisconsin “Northwoods” for PhilWildWisco. This gathering had a place-based orientation, focusing on local struggles for environmental justice along the Wolf River and in the larger “Northwoods.” With “The Fight Lives!” blazed across his T-shirt, the Menominee community organizer Anahwket (Guy Reiter) drew from extensive experience in grassroots activism for an invigorating keynote (program here).

From August 7-9, Philosophy in the Wild also gathered at Ridley Creek State Park in Pennsylvania for a workshop on the Philosophy of Academia. Philosophers considered the ethics, politics, and future of the academy as we know it. Undeterred by thunderstorms, we tested an emergent recipe: "pancake mush” (program here).