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TagArvan’s 2021 Philosophy Jobs Report
How many tenure track positions in philosophy were advertised during the 2020-2021 job market season? (more…)
APA Creates “Beyond the Academy” Online Resources
The American Philosophical Association (APA) has created an online version of its set of resources for those with philosophical training who are seeking employment outside of academia. (more…)
Building A Better “Which Philosopher Are You Most Similar To?” Quiz
There are various silly little quizzes across the internet claiming to be able to tell you which famous philosopher you most agree with, but as far as I know, philosophy does not have something like Chris Said’s “Which Famous Economist Are You Most Similar To?” (more…)
Philosophy Grad Program Applicants’ Thoughts about the Application Process (guest post)
An informal survey of applicants to philosophy graduate programs, conducted in the Philosophy Graduate Applicants Facebook, Grad Cafe, and elsewhere online, provides some information about the choices of applicants and their thoughts about the application process. (more…)
Philosophy for Kids Is not Math for Kids or Reading for Kids
In 2015, a small study purported to show that teaching elementary school students philosophy improved their math and reading skills. The following year, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) funded a large-scale study of the effects of teaching philosophy to young children. The results of that study have now been announced. (more…)
Philosophy’s Popularity as a Second Major Among Women
In the United States, “among students whose first major is philosophy, 36% are women” while “among students whose second major is Philosophy, 43% are women.” (more…)
What the Public Thinks of Philosophy and Other Humanities Fields
A new report from Humanities Indicators (a part of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences), based on a survey of over 5,000 U.S. adults, reveals and discusses various beliefs and attitudes the American public has towards the humanities, and includes information specifically about the public’s perception of and engagement with philosophy. (more…)
APDA Adds Board of Advisors
Academic Placement Data and Analysis (APDA), a project led by Carolyn Dicey Jennings (UC Merced) to gather, analyze, and present data about philosophy departments, including information about job placement, student experiences, departmental strengths, and diversity, has established a Board of Advisors. (more…)
Much Fewer Academic Philosophy Jobs Advertised This Season
Compared to previous years, the number of academic jobs advertised this season is much lower. (more…)
2020 PhilPapers Survey Begins
In 2009, the PhilPapers team—David Bourget of the University of Western Ontario and David Chalmers of New York University—conducted a survey of the views of professional philosophers in the English-speaking world. How have those views changed in the past 11 years? (more…)
The Philosophy Major Is (Kind of) Back on the Rise (guest post by Eric Schwitzgebel)
New data shows a recent slight uptick in the percentage of undergraduates earning philosophy degrees. (more…)
Some Good News, Some Bad News in the APA’s State of the Profession Report (guest post)
The American Philosophical Association (APA) today released a new report, “State of the Profession 1967-2017 and Beyond: Institutions and Faculty.” (more…)
New Site Presents Philosophy Job Placement Data
Charles Lassiter, associate professor of philosophy at Gonzaga University, has created a new site to provide job placement information about philosophy Ph.D. programs. (more…)
Philosophers Win Artificial Intelligence Award
The Tetrad Automated Causal Discovery Platform, a software and text project developed by Peter Spirtes, Clark Glymour, Richard Scheines and Joe Ramsey of Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Philosophy, earned the “Leader” Award at the 2020 World Artificial Intelligence Conference this past July. (more…)
How Do Moral Philosophy Courses Affect Student Behavior?
Do college philosophy courses in ethics affect the real-world choices of the students who take them? A trio of philosophers recently took up this question and have just published their results. (more…)
Best PhD Programs in Philosophy (guest post by Carolyn Dicey Jennings)
The following is a guest post* by Carolyn Dicey Jennings, associate professor of philosophy and cognitive science at University of California, Merced, and the principal investigator for the project, Academic Placement Data and Analysis (APDA) (more…)
Demographic Trends in the Philosophy Major Might Be Mostly Due to Pre-College Factors (guest post)
This guest post* looks at two questions related to demographic trends among philosophy majors. First, are women disproportionately less interested in the philosophy major at the beginning of their first year of study? And second, is the recent apparent increase in interest in philosophy reflected in first-year intention to major? (more…)
Facts and Figures About U.S. Philosophy Departments
Humanities Indicators, a project of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences that gathers information about the humanities in the United States, has released a report that includes a variety of details about philosophy departments. (more…)
AAUP Faculty Compensation Report Released
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has published the results of its 2019-20 Faculty Compensation Survey. (more…)
Philosophy Twitter, YouTube, & Podcasts Over The Past Decade (guest post by Kelly Truelove)
The following is a guest post by Kelly Truelove, who keeps an eye on social media trends for a few academic disciplines at his site, TrueSciPhi. (more…)
What Is Learned from 70,000 Responses to Trolley Scenarios?
A team of researchers has reported on its collection and analysis of 70,000 responses to three scenarios that frequently comprise versions of the trolley problem. (more…)
The Philosophy Major Sees Increase in Numbers and Diversity (guest post)
“In the midst of this general sharp decline of the humanities, philosophy’s admittedly small and partial recovery stands out.” (more…)
Is X-Phi P-Hacked? (guest post by Mike Stuart, Edouard Machery and David Colaço)
Has experimental philosophy (“X-Phi”) exhibited signs of “p-hacking”? In this guest post*, Mike Stuart (Geneva), Edouard Machery (Pittsburgh), and David Colaço (Mississippi) report their findings. (more…)
Study on Philosophy Job Market Underway
A team of researchers is conducting a study of the job market in academic philosophy and is currently seeking participants. (more…)
The Career Trajectories and Workplace Skills of Philosophy and Language Majors
A new study looks at the jobs and skills of college graduates, including those who major in philosophy, finds that choice of major “isn’t as deterministic of our work as we might believe,” and aims to help students understand how their education has prepared them for the job market. (more…)
Philosophy on Twitter & YouTube – Quarterly Update
Here’s the “Philosophy on Twitter & YouTube” Quarterly Update from Kelly Truelove of TrueSciPhi.
Elite Philosophy PhD Programs Mostly Admit Students from Other Elite Schools (guest post by Eric Schwitzgebel)
“There are many potentially excellent philosophers from nonelite schools who are missing terrific educational and career opportunities because students from elite schools have such a large competitive advantage.”
What’s New at Academic Placement Data and Analysis?
Academic Placement Data and Analysis (APDA) is a project that aims to “collect, analyze, and distribute data on job placement for graduates of PhD programs in philosophy.” (more…)