Athene Noctua: Undergraduate Philosophy Journal exclusively publishes selected research papers from a given year’s “Senior Seminar in Philosophy” course, which serves as the capstone for the philosophy major at Florida Atlantic University and is offered once per academic year during the Fall semester.

 

The journal derives its name from the Little Owl (Athene noctua), a small bird native to the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Korea, Africa, and the Americas. This small creature hunts and is most active at dusk, thereby its Latin name.

 

The terrestrial type of Athene noctua nests exclusively underground and is known as the Burrowing Owl, which serves as the mascot of Florida Atlantic University. The Little Owl is not only Florida Atlantic University’s mascot but is also associated, in Greek mythology, with the goddess Athena who was always accompanied by this small bird.

 

Because of this association, the Athene noctua is often referred to as the ‘owl of Minerva’ or the ‘owl of Athena’ and has long been used as a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, perspicacity, and erudition.

For these many reasons, Athene noctua is an ideal name for a journal devoted to publishing the excellent work of the philosophy students at Florida Atlantic University.