Each year the Philosophy Department invites a prominent philosopher to IU South Bend, for a campus-wide event called Philosophy Day. The philosopher chosen is someone whose work is of interest to many academic disciplines and to the general public. The Philosophy Day speaker gives a public lecture and a colloquium.
The following is a list of Philosophy Day speakers since its inception in 1979. Sponsorship is indicated by the following symbols.
# = Council for Philosophical Studies, Distinguished Visiting Philosopher
* = Addison Locke Roache Memorial Fund Lecturer
** = Philosophy Alumnae/Alumni Lecture
2019-2020 Heidi Maibom*
2018-2019 David Depew*
2017-2018 Mary Domski*
2016-2017 Fritz Allhoff*
2011-2012 Alison Jaggar*
2009-2010 Paul Thompson*
2008-2009 Paul Gomberg**
2007-2008 Kristin Shrader-Frechette*
2005-2006 Charles Taliaferro*
2004-2005 Nancy Sherman*
2002-2003 William McBride*
2001-2002 Karen Hanson**
2000-2001 Glenn McGee*
1999-2000 Rosemarie Tong*
1998-1999 Thomas Kasulis*
1997-1998 Michael Ruse*
1996-1997 Patricia H. Werhane*
1995-1996 Arthur Fine*
1994-1995 Sandra Bartky*
1993-1994 Alvin Plantinga*
1992-1993 Edith Wyschogrod*
1991-1992 Stephen Toulmin*
1990-1991 David Michael Levin*
1989-1990 Alan Gewirth*
1988-1989 Marilyn Frye
1987-1988 Ernan McMullin
1986-1987 John Haugeland#
1985-1986 David L. Hull
1984-1985 Gerald Dworkin
1983-1984 William Alston
1982-1983 Kenneth M. Sayre
1981-1982 Nicholas Wolterstorff
1980-1981 Frithjof Bergmann#
1979-1980 Gary Gutting