News
CategoryRubio Warms Up To Philosophy
In November of 2015, Florida Senator and then presidential candidate Marco Rubio had some critical remarks for higher education in the United States, calling it outdated and saying, “I don’t know why we have stigmatized vocational education. Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers.” (more…)
Ubermess: Philosophers Discuss the Self-Driving Car Crash
On March 19, 2018 a self-driving Uber car-for-hire struck and killed a pedestrian, Elaine Herzberg, in Tempe, Arizona. This was not the first trouble Uber has had with its self-driving cars, nor was it the first fatal crash involving a self-driving car (for example). (more…)
Stubblefield Pleads Guilty (Update: Sentenced to “Time Served”)
Anna Stubblefield, the former professor of philosophy at Rutgers University-Newark whose October 2015 conviction for sexually assaulting a disabled man was overturned last June, has now pleaded guilty to third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact. (more…)
Students Allege Sexual Harassment by Concordia Philosophy Professor
Several students at Concordia University have accused a professor in its Department of Philosophy of sexual harassment. One of the students has accused the university of “systemic failings of its sexual violence and sexual harassment policies,” filed a civil rights complaint against the school that includes a request that the accused professor “face sanctions for ..
Interview with the Philosopher Running for Congress
Too many of us have been denied economic security and equal opportunity. I have spent my life trying to address these societal problems. Now I want to take the fight to Congress.
Kipnis & Harper Collins Fail To Get Lawsuit Dismissed
The motion filed by Laura Kipnis and her publisher, Harper Collins, to have philosophy graduate student “Jane Doe”‘s lawsuit against them dismissed has been denied. (more…)
Philosophers Help Fight for Chimpanzee Personhood
Seventeen philosophers co-authored and submitted to the New York Court of Appeals an amicus curiae brief in support of legal personhood for a pair of chimpanzees. (more…)
Philosophy Professor Charged With Possession of Child Pornography (updated)
A professor of philosophy at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania was arrested last Thursday after child pornography was discovered on his university-issued computer. (more…)
Philosophers Object to Denial of Asylum to Humanist Unfamiliar with Plato & Aristotle
Two weeks ago, the British government’s Home Office rejected the asylum request of Hamza Bin Walayat because, while he described himself as a “humanist” worried about religious persecution in his home country of Pakistan, be could not answer questions about Plato and Aristotle. Now, 120 philosophers have signed onto a letter objecting to the decision. (more…)
Israeli Philosophers Object To Deportation of African Refugees (updated w/ link to petition)
Over 70 Israeli philosophers have signed an open letter objecting to their government’s efforts to deport African refugees and migrants. (more…)
Giving the Horse A Thorough Dental Exam
T1: Johns Hopkins announces that its Department of Philosophy is receiving a $75 million gift from investor Bill Miller—the largest single donation ever to a philosophy department.
T2: Philosophers say, “This isn’t a good idea.” (more…)
Grad Student Tuition Waivers to Remain Tax-Exempt
Members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives have been meeting this week to reconcile their different tax reform bills, and various news outlets are reporting that the proposal in the House version to remove tuition waivers from their current tax-exempt status will not make it into the final bill. (more…)
Support Net Neutrality
Tomorrow, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission will vote on whether to undo the Open Internet Order, in place since 2015, that requires internet service providers to adhere to “net neutrality.” Take one minute today to try to help save it. (more…)
NCAA on Boxill: “Cannot conclude she committed unethical conduct”
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has released its “Public Infractions Decision” regarding academic fraud at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Over an 18-year period, some student athletes were steered towards phony “paper classes” that never met and were assigned work that was graded—if at all—by the department’s office manager, o..
Philosophers Call for Peaceful Resolution of Catalonia Crisis
Amidst the chaos following Catalonia’s independence referendum, a group of philosophers working at Catalan universities have launched a petition calling for an end to state violence in Catalonia and proposing some steps to be taken for a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the Spanish and Catalan governments. (more…)
University of Central Missouri Loses Philosophy Program
Students at the University of Central Missouri will no longer be able to major in philosophy, according to the school’s news site, Muleskinner.
Brooklyn College / CUNY Philosopher Among Faculty Targeted By Anti-Muslim Organization
Samir Chopra, a professor of philosophy at Brooklyn College and City University of New York (CUNY), is among faculty and students being slandered as “terrorist supporters” by the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a rightwing, anti-Muslim organization. (more…)
The Philosophy of Hurricanes
The destruction recently wrought by Hurricane Harvey will take years to recover from. Now, weather forecasters are drawing attention to Hurricane Irma, currently in the Atlantic Ocean and heading west towards the islands of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and then possibly Cuba, Florida, and elsewhere along the eastern United States. (..
Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund
Vida Yao, assistant professor of philosophy at Rice University, writes in suggesting that people interested in helping those affected by Hurricane Harvey contribute to the Hurricane Harvey Community Relief Fund. She says: (more…)
All Members of President’s Committee on Arts & Humanities Resign
All 17 of the non-governmental members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH) today submitted a group resignation letter (posted below), effectively disbanding the committee. (more…)
New “Thought Trust” to Continue Mission of Northern Institute of Philosophy
The mission of the Northern Institute of Philosophy, which was created in 2009 at the University of Aberdeen by Crispin Wright (NYU, Stirling) and which ceased operations there in January of 2015, will be continued by a new entity, the Thought Trust. (more…)
APA Election Results
The American Philosophical Association (APA) has announced the results of its recent election of divisional officers, an at-large member of the APA Board of Officers, and four members of the Graduate Student Council. (more…)
CEU Will Stay In Budapest Next Year
Central European University (CEU) announced today that it will continue its operations for the 2017-18 academic year, with hopes that current negotiations will lead to a longer-term solution (via Inside Higher Ed).
Philosophy at St. Thomas University (Houston) – an update
The Director of Communications at St. Thomas University in Houston, Sandra Soliz, today sent a press release regarding the possible threats to philosophers and philosophy programs there. She included a note that said that “all tenured philosophy professors will receive continuous contracts by today.” There do not appear to be any untenured tenure-track professors. T..
NEH’s Philosopher-Leader Steps Down / UPDATE: Trump Budget Released Today Proposes Closure of NEH
William “Bro” Adams, a philosopher who has taught at Santa Clara University, UNC Chapel Hill, and Stanford, and who has served as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) since 2014, is stepping down from that position, effective today, according to Inside Higher Ed. (more…)
Kipnis and Publisher Sued
Laura Kipnis, a professor in the School of Communication at Northwestern University, and Harper Collins, the publisher of her recent book, Unwanted Advances: Sexual Paranoia Comes To Campus, are being sued by a Northwestern philosophy graduate student, “Jane Doe,” for public disclosure of private facts, false light invasion of privacy, defamation, and intentional in..
UC Berkeley Knew Of Prior Complaints About Searle
John Searle, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, was the subject of at least three sexual misconduct claims filed by Berkeley students in recent years, prior to the filing of the current sexual harassment lawsuit against him and the Regents of the University of California, according to a report by Katie J.M. Baker at Buzzfeed…
Philosophy Instructor Reportedly Abducted
Önder Asan, a philosophy instructor from Ankara, Turkey, was reportedly abducted there on April 1st. Asan had worked at one of the educational institutions* closed down by the Turkish government following the attempted military coup there last July. (more…)