You left out Scandinavia! There’s a lot of “analytic” style philosophy there. Also, Germany is pretty heavily analytic now, as are Austria and the Netherlands.Report
Also, the modern stronghold of analytic philosophy is not England, but the US. Also, there is a strong analytic tradition in Canada, and Peter Singer does not overshadow other Australian analytic philosophers.Report
Fwiw, the map of philosophy in NA covers half way up Hudson’s Bay (to the northern tip of Labrador!), which means that most of the inhabited parts of Canada are covered, including all of our major universities (I’m not sure, but I don’t think there are any philosophy departments north of that in Canada..). Although, as a Canadian, I resent being lumped in with the US (as usual) 😛Report
There is a huge amount of analytic philosophy dealing with historical philosophers, including the Greeks. And no, I have worked in analytic philosophy all my life and I have never heard that slogan.Report
I’ve also never heard that phrase. But I have heard `the pre-fregeans’ as a lot dismissed. At least four days out of the week I’m sympathetic to such dismissal. On at least one day out of those four, I’m actually in favor of such dismissal. Usually that day occurs the day after I convinced myself it was worthwhile to look at what some prefregean or other thought about something, and failed to make headway.Report
I think many analytic philosophers don’t have the patience for history of philosophy, but they’ll usually acknowledge that it is nonetheless philosophy. The first half of that is also true in the case of continental philosophy and non-Anglo philosophy, but not the second, unfortunately. (Full disclosure, I don’t really buy the analytic/continental distinction at a deep level, but will count myself squarely as an analytic most days.)Report
“Years ago, I heard about a sign pinned to an office door in Princeton, New Jersey. The office door was Gilbert Harman’s, and I was told the sign read, ‘Just say no to the history of philosophy’. ‘Just say no to the history of philosophy’—a clear echo of Nancy Reagan’s ‘Just say no to drugs’. ”
I mean, when I look at this faculty list, I think it’s an amazing list of great (and, fwiw, analytic) philosophers: http://www.institutnicod.org/membres/membres-statutaires/?lang=fr. And I thought that was a fairly boring conventional view. I guess opinions on the shape of the philosophical earth differ.Report
I think a lot of people are missing the joke: the view of the “world” from the perspective of analytic philosophy is narrow, inaccurate, and in some cases downright silly.Report
I don’t know… if enough people have the out of date view that’s being mocked, I think the joke can work. And I think a lot of analytic philosophers have something like this view. I have to admit, I had no idea how much great work was being done in Germany until I visited there recently. I could even cite important papers written by Americans that leave out amazing and cutting edge stuff from Germany. Communication between the Anglo-analytic world and the Euro-analytic world seems very sub-optimal to me.
(It goes without saying that once you’re this far into explaining/defending a joke, you’ve given up on making your interlocutor find it funny.)Report
You left out Scandinavia! There’s a lot of “analytic” style philosophy there. Also, Germany is pretty heavily analytic now, as are Austria and the Netherlands.Report
Also, the modern stronghold of analytic philosophy is not England, but the US. Also, there is a strong analytic tradition in Canada, and Peter Singer does not overshadow other Australian analytic philosophers.Report
Fwiw, the map of philosophy in NA covers half way up Hudson’s Bay (to the northern tip of Labrador!), which means that most of the inhabited parts of Canada are covered, including all of our major universities (I’m not sure, but I don’t think there are any philosophy departments north of that in Canada..). Although, as a Canadian, I resent being lumped in with the US (as usual) 😛Report
There’s lots of analytic going on in Canada and Australia too.Report
I do apologize! The first post didn’t seem to show up, so I posted again. My stupid. 🙁Report
Hahaha, of course analytic philosophy forgets Greece exists …Report
I don’t even know what you are talking about. Since when do analytics not know about the Greeks?Report
There’s certainly a reputation in analytic philosophy to eschew the past, ever heard “History of philosophy: Just say no.”Report
There is a huge amount of analytic philosophy dealing with historical philosophers, including the Greeks. And no, I have worked in analytic philosophy all my life and I have never heard that slogan.Report
I’ve also never heard that phrase. But I have heard `the pre-fregeans’ as a lot dismissed. At least four days out of the week I’m sympathetic to such dismissal. On at least one day out of those four, I’m actually in favor of such dismissal. Usually that day occurs the day after I convinced myself it was worthwhile to look at what some prefregean or other thought about something, and failed to make headway.Report
I think many analytic philosophers don’t have the patience for history of philosophy, but they’ll usually acknowledge that it is nonetheless philosophy. The first half of that is also true in the case of continental philosophy and non-Anglo philosophy, but not the second, unfortunately. (Full disclosure, I don’t really buy the analytic/continental distinction at a deep level, but will count myself squarely as an analytic most days.)Report
“Years ago, I heard about a sign pinned to an office door in Princeton, New Jersey. The office door was Gilbert Harman’s, and I was told the sign read, ‘Just say no to the history of philosophy’. ‘Just say no to the history of philosophy’—a clear echo of Nancy Reagan’s ‘Just say no to drugs’. ”
https://philosophy.princeton.edu/about/eighties-snapshotReport
Barn facades is a nice touch.Report
what about France? “postmodern rubbish” or “Derridoodoo” perhaps?Report
That falls under ‘Can’t do philosophy here’, of course.Report
Nvm. I misread the map. What we know as ‘France’ (and ‘Spain’) lies in the land of Dragons in the world of Analytic Philosophy.Report
I mean, when I look at this faculty list, I think it’s an amazing list of great (and, fwiw, analytic) philosophers: http://www.institutnicod.org/membres/membres-statutaires/?lang=fr. And I thought that was a fairly boring conventional view. I guess opinions on the shape of the philosophical earth differ.Report
I think there’s a good case for thinking that most of those people are not analytic philosophers (for the reasons David Spurrett gives:
https://www.academia.edu/191533/Why_I_am_not_an_analytic_philosopher).Report
I think a lot of people are missing the joke: the view of the “world” from the perspective of analytic philosophy is narrow, inaccurate, and in some cases downright silly.Report
To stick a joke like that, it helps to have a view of analytic philosophy that is not 20 years out of date.Report
I don’t know… if enough people have the out of date view that’s being mocked, I think the joke can work. And I think a lot of analytic philosophers have something like this view. I have to admit, I had no idea how much great work was being done in Germany until I visited there recently. I could even cite important papers written by Americans that leave out amazing and cutting edge stuff from Germany. Communication between the Anglo-analytic world and the Euro-analytic world seems very sub-optimal to me.
(It goes without saying that once you’re this far into explaining/defending a joke, you’ve given up on making your interlocutor find it funny.)Report