September 30

Étienne Bonnot de Condillac was born in 1714 in Grenoble, France. He became a central figure of the French Enlightenment with his theory that all knowledge derives from sensory experience. In his seminal work 'Essay on the Origin of Human Knowledge,' he explored how mental faculties emerge through sensation. Condillac also wrote on language, arguing that speech shapes thought and social development. He served as a tutor and advisor to European nobility, including the princes of Orange. His clear prose and analytical approach made his ideas widely accessible. He died in 1780, influencing subsequent philosophers such as Kant and the utilitarians.

Claudia Card was a professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in moral philosophy and feminist ethics. She introduced the concept of 'complex inequality' to analyze systemic oppression and developed a framework for understanding genocide as a moral atrocity. Card authored influential books such as 'The Atrocity Paradigm' and wrote extensively on sexual violence, disability, and culture. Her interdisciplinary approach integrated feminist theory, social justice, and analytic philosophy. Card's scholarship continues to shape ethics, human rights, and public policy discussions.