Month: August 2014
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Ferguson & Philosophy Class
It is the beginning of the school year. Some professors start off their first class with deep puzzles, or thought experiments, or polls. Others…
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Gillian Bennett, Dementia, and Assisted Suicide
I will take my life today around noon. It is time. Dementia is taking its toll and I have nearly lost myself. I have…
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Update on Barnett
David Barnett, whom the University of Colorado is attempting to fire based on claims that he retaliated against a graduate student for her accusations of…
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Virtual Dissertation Writers Groups
Joshua Smart, a philosophy graduate student at the University of Missouri, is coordinating the formation of virtual discussion groups for dissertation writers. He writes:…
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On Being Professional Philosophers and Parents
Helen De Cruz has interviewed seven tenured philosophy professors about parenthood’s effects on their careers. She has a post about it at NewAPPS, which…
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Heap of Links
1. What should we think about the ice bucket challenge? 2. Al Mele (Florida State) and Eddy Nahmias (Georgia State) talk about free will…
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Moral Philosopher Busts Fraudster
Jonathan Glover (KCL) can add “crime-fighter” to his list of accomplishments. The Hampstead & Highgate Express reports: A fraudster is facing jail after a bungled attempt…
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Loeb Classical Library — Online Soon
Harvard University Press is digitizing the entirety of The Loeb Classical Library and putting it online. While a free trial will be available, permanent…
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The Best Articles on Aesthetics
In a comment on the post about Philosopher’s Annual and articles in philosophy of race and gender, Tom Cochrane (Sheffield) writes: Note that they haven’t selected…
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The Best Philosophy Articles on Race and Gender
The selections for the latest Philosopher’s Annual, which takes as its goal “to select the ten best articles published in philosophy each year—an attempt…
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Ignorance “Justifies” Ignorance (More on Non-Western Philosophy)
It is… worth inquiring why classical Chinese philosophers are not especially influential in contemporary U.S. philosophy. One possibility is historical accident: Because the dominant…
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Hiring and “Unofficial” Information
The recent story about East Carolina’s offer to Colin McGinn has generated a variety of reactions, some of which concern what kinds of information…
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More on McGinn’s Offer
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on East Carolina’s offer to McGinn (previously). The article confirms the earlier report, saying “The philosophy department had chosen…
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More on the Homogeneity of Philosophy
Continuing on the theme of the homogeneity of philosophy: I strongly believe that it is central to a thorough education in the human sciences…
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McGinn Offered Visiting Professorship
Colin McGinn, who left the University of Miami last year amid allegations of sexual harassment, was recently offered a one-year Distinguished Visiting Professorship in the Department…
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Protevi on Salaita on TV
John Protevi (LSU), who has been leading the contingent of philosophers protesting the University of Illinois for its decision to rescind an offer to…
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Heap of Links
1. Do athletes need more philosophy? 2. Bertrand Russell plays himself, being interviewed, as part of a 1967 Bollywood movie. A Buddhist monk explains, and…
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Philosophy Banned in Northern Syrian City
The Islamic State (IS) Sunni extremist group has banned the study of philosophy and chemistry in schools in the northern Syrian city of al-Raqa…
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Heap of Links
1. Nicholas Kristof, writing in The New York Times, defends the value of the humanities by explaining how he has been affected by the…
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The Homogeneity of Philosophy
In my own department, I tried to stimulate discussion about what could be done to increase diversity. The faculty and my fellow graduate students…