philosophers
TagNotre Dame Philosophers Issue Statement On Threats To Philosophy at Univ. of St. Thomas Houston
In response to news that philosophy programs at the University of St. Thomas in Houston may be shut down and tenured philosophers relieved of their positions, members of the University of Notre Dame Department of Philosophy have issued the following statement, which was sent in to Daily Nous by Professor Thérèse Cory: (more…)
Philosophy Under Threat at Univ. of St. Thomas Houston (updated)
It is standard operating procedure at the University of St. Thomas (Houston) for faculty to receive and return their renewal contracts for the following academic year by May 15th. May 15th has come and gone, and not one of the 11 members of the university’s Department of Philosophy has received their contract (neither has anyone in the English Department there). (mo..
The Great Philosophers, Now With Smiles
Have you ever noticed how dour the great philosophers look in their portraits?
Martin O’Neill, senior lecturer in politics at the University of York, decided to put a happier spin on the history of philosophy. Here’s the result: (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..
Virtues of Philosophers: Humility, Curiosity, Charity, Courage, and Grace
What are the virtues of a philosopher?
I won’t pretend this is an uncontroversial question, but I leave aside the tasks of defending it and arguing for particular specifications of its concepts. What I have in mind are aspects of character in virtue of which philosophers are able to do whatever it is they are supposed to do, well—especially in light of the fact..
Two Philosophers Among New Canada Council Laureates
The Killam Trusts, one of the few private, philanthropic trusts for higher education in Canada, has announced its 2017 Canada Council Laureates. Among them are two philosophers, Thomas Hurka (Toronto) and Dominic McIver Lopes (University of British Columbia). (more…)
Philosophy Department Chairs: New Online Discussion Group
Tiger Roholt, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy at Montclair State University, has started a new online discussion group for philosophy department chairs.
He writes: (more…)
Two Philosophers Among New Carnegie Fellows
The Carnegie Corporation of New York has announced the winners of its 2017 Andrew Carnegie fellowships. Among the 35 new fellows are two philosophers: David Danks, L.L. Thurstone Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, and Tommie Shelby, Caldwell Titcomb Professor of African and African American Studies and of Philosophy at Harvard Univ..
Philosopher as Executive Consultant
To the list of nonacademic career possibilities for a person with a PhD in philosophy, add “Chief Philosophy Officer”—a kind of philosophical counselor for business executives. (more…)
New Public Philosophy Podcast: The Owl
The Owl is a new public philosophy podcast from the Brooklyn Public Philosophers (BKPP). Ian Olasov, a philosophy graduate student at CUNY who coordinates events for BKPP, writes: (more…)
Most Philosophers Favor Efforts To Broaden The Discipline
Last year, Valerie Tiberius, professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota, conducted what she called “The Value of Philosophy Survey.” Over 2,500 philosophers responded to the survey, which asked 24 questions, and in her Presidential Address at the Central Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association (APA) last month, Professor Tiberius discu..
Three Philosophers Among New Guggenheim Fellows
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has announced the winners of its prestigious fellowship. There were 173 Guggenheim Fellowships awarded, three of which went to philosophers: (more…)
Did Gorsuch Plagiarize? Philosophers & Others Consulted (updated)
Politico has consulted several “experts on academic integrity” to assess whether Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch plagiariazed parts of his book, The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia, which was a revised version of his D.Phil thesis, as well as an article in the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, while the White House has produced statements from sev..
Philosophers Among New ACLS Fellows
The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) has announced its 2017 class of fellows. The competition for the fellowships, whose stipends were recently increased, is steep:
When Philosophers’ Skepticism Sacrifices Other Intellectual Values
The following is an excerpt from “Degenerate Skepticism and the Thieves of Philosophy” by Amy Olberding (University of Oklahoma), an essay presented at a recent meeting of the American Philosophical Association (APA) and posted at her blog, Department of Deviance. Though written in regards to the reception of Chinese philosophy in today’s profession, it elucidates a..
How Socratic Was Socrates?
Adversarialism, eh? Alright then, to start I want to point out that philosophers have been pushing this macho schtick from the beginning. Socrates is indeed their hero; if only they could do what he does, whether it be reducing their debating partners to silence or, even better, extracting succinct concessions to their intellectual superiority: “Yes, Socrates,” “You..
On Not Being Able To Imagine Being Satisfied Doing Anything Else
The rhetoric that describes philosophy as a kind of special calling has always struck me as smuggling in much overdetermined sociology. The most irritating version of this to me is the claim that one ought not pursue philosophy unless “one cannot imagine any other satisfying or worthwhile life for oneself.” (more…)
Bertrand Russell Society & Others Sign Onto Anti-Nuke Letter to Trump & Putin
In his capacity as president of the Bertrand Russell Society, philosopher Timothy Madigan (St. John Fisher College) has written to U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to encourage them to work together to eliminate nuclear weapons, expressing support for Nuclear Age Peace Foundation‘s recent open letter to the leaders. (more…)
Philosophy’s Use of the Visual Arts
What works of visual art (paintings, sculpture, photography, drawings, etc.) have philosophers made use of in their written works, either as examples, inspiration, or subjects of study? (more…)
New Site Interviews Philosophers With Non-Academic Careers
Phil Skills is a new site featuring interviews with people who’ve had graduate training in philosophy and pursued careers outside of academia. The site was created by Eleni Manis, a former philosophy professor who received her PhD at Michigan and who is currently a research analyst and acting director of communications at the Office of the Nassau County Comptrolle..
Mentoring Workshop for Pre-tenure Women Faculty in Philosophy
The Mentoring Project For Pre-tenure Women Faculty in Philosophy will be holding its 4th biennial workshop this June. The workshop is an opportunity to “foster mentoring relationships between senior women in the field and women just beginning their careers” by providing pre-tenure women philosophers a forum in which to present and develop papers in the company of a ..
The Quality and Reach of Philosophical Writing
In an epic interview at Emotion Researcher, Martha Nussbaum answers questions about her life and her work and philosophy. At one point, the interviewer says:
Another distinctive aspect of your philosophical work is its ambition to have practical import. In your The Therapy of Desire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics, you cite approvingly Epicurus’ claim ..
Cynicism and Hope about the Philosophy Profession
What Is It Like To Be A Philosopher? has published an interview with Jenny Saul, who is professor of philosophy at the University of Sheffield, blogger at Feminist Philosophers, and 2011 winner of the Distinguished Woman Philosopher Award.
Politically, What Should Philosophers, Qua Philosophers, Do?
A pair of philosophy graduate students write in with a topic for discussion:
Dear Philosophical Community,
Like many of our graduate student and faculty colleagues in philosophy, we are becoming increasingly alarmed by our political situation as the Trump administration has made good on reprehensible campaign promises. (more…)
Ethics Professors and Ethical Standards
Should ethics professors be held to higher ethical standards in their personal behavior? A post on that topic by Eric Schwitzgebel (UCR) at The Splintered Mind (which I had put in the Heap of Links last week) asks that question. (more…)
New Philosophy Conversation Video Series / Conference Norms
Scott Aikin and Robert Talisse, both professors of philosophy at Vanderbilt and co-authors of Why We Argue (and How We Should): A Guide to Political Disagreement, have a new series of short videos of the two of them discussing philosophy. The series is called Philosophy 15. (more…)
“On The Brink of Collapse”: The Philosophical Society of South Africa
The Philosophical Society of South Africa (PSSA), a professional association of philosophers “representing the interests of the academic philosophical community in Southern Africa,” is “on the brink of collapse over allegations of racism,” according to the Mail & Guardian. At its annual meeting last month, the organization’s president, Vasti Roodt (Stellenbosch), an..
Indigenous Philosophy and Philosophers in the US
What’s the state of Indigenous philosophy and Indigenous philosophers in the US? Kyle Whyte (Michigan State University), himself an Indigenous philosopher, has an informative post answering that question over at Philosopher, the blog edited by Meena Krishnamurthy (University of Michigan). (more…)