Open Letter Regarding President Bolsonaro’s Recent Pronouncements on Defunding Philosophy and Sociology (updated)
(UPDATE (5/5/19): I’m bringing this post back up to the top of the main page to increase its visibility. The letter now has over 3,000 signatures. Academics in all disciplines are encouraged to sign.)
Below is a letter responding to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s recent declarations that he is considering a plan to withdraw funding for the study and teaching of philosophy and sociology at public universities in Brazil.
Written by Sergio Tenenbaum (University of Toronto), Alice Pinheiro Walla (University of Bayreuth), and Catarina Dulith Novaes (VU Amsterdam), the letter is open for academics from around the world to sign. (To sign, use the form at the end of the letter.)
Open Letter Regarding President Bolsonaro’s Recent Pronouncements on Defunding Philosophy and Sociology
We, the undersigned academics around the world, would like to express our alarm and concern about President Bolsonaro’s recent claims that he is planning to defund Philosophy and Sociology (and possibly other areas in the Humanities and social sciences). Brazilian public universities have produced internationally recognized major research in both of these areas. Philosophy and Sociology are fundamental disciplines of any modern university, and, given the interdisciplinary nature of the university, defunding them will affect not only research in these specific areas, but also the reputation, and the quality of research and teaching, of Brazilian universities across all areas. In fact, it is ironic that Philosophy is singled out in this respect, as philosophers in Brazil were among the pioneers of paraconsistent logic, a research program that has had impact in such diverse areas as robotics and expert systems for medical diagnosis.
President Bolsonaro implies in his remarks that public funding should flow exclusively to professional schools. These are certainly important programs. However, a democratic society depends not only on its commercial productive output, but also on its social institutions, its understanding of their foundations and governing principles, as well as its understanding of how these policies and institutions affect its population. Research in social sciences and humanities, and especially Philosophy and Sociology, is vital to such an understanding. The contribution of academics to public debates is also of crucial importance to a well functioning democracy.
Students taking courses in these areas learn to think critically about their conditions, and the broader condition of the society and the world around them. But also the wider public and Brazilian society benefit from the intellectual expertise from philosophers and sociologists.
Thus an attack on Philosophy and Sociology, as well as the humanities and social sciences more generally, is an attack on the very fabric of a democratic society. We call on the Bolsonaro government to reconsider such proposals, and we call on all citizens of Brazil to join us in preserving public support of the social sciences and humanities in Brazil.
Regarding President Bolsonaro's Recent Pronouncements on Defunding Philosophy and Sociology
Please sign the open letter using the above form. Note that though a valid email is required, your email address will not be publicly displayed nor used for any other purpose.
(Note: I have been informed that upon initially opening this page, in some browsers the above widget states that zero people have signed the letter. This is false. As of May 5th, there are over 3000 signatories. For those experiencing this problem, the actual number of signatories, as well as their names, will be visible after you sign the letter and refresh the page. Thanks to those who reported this issue.)
5,022 | Dr. Stephen Darling | Nov 16, 2020 | |
5,021 | Ms Lisbeth Defreigne | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Jun 11, 2020 |
5,020 | Mr Kevin Anderson | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | May 26, 2020 |
5,019 | Mrs Judith Anderson | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | May 26, 2020 |
5,018 | Dr. Stephen Scanlan | Ohio University | May 12, 2020 |
5,017 | Mr Benoit Gide | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Jan 12, 2020 |
5,016 | Dr. Patrick Brownlee | University of Sydney | Jan 02, 2020 |
5,015 | Dr. Harriet Fraad | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Dec 05, 2019 |
5,014 | Dr. Rose Cherubin | George Mason University | Dec 04, 2019 |
5,013 | Dr. Kimberley Brown | Portland State University | Dec 02, 2019 |
5,012 | Dr. Priya Kapoor | Portland State University | Dec 02, 2019 |
5,011 | Dr. Shawn Smallman | Portland State University | Dec 02, 2019 |
5,010 | Dr. Stephen Cooper | Franklin & Marshall College | Nov 29, 2019 |
5,009 | Dr. Alan Rudy | Central Michigan University | Nov 28, 2019 |
5,008 | Dr. Rose Cleary | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Nov 28, 2019 |
5,007 | Dr. David Fasenfest | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Nov 28, 2019 |
5,006 | Dr. Judith Mueller | Franklin & Marshall College | Nov 27, 2019 |
5,005 | Dr. Sirisha Naidu | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Nov 27, 2019 |
5,004 | Dr. Roger Thompson | Franklin&Marshall College | Nov 27, 2019 |
5,003 | Dr. Timothy Bechtel | Franklin & Marshall College, PA, USA | Nov 27, 2019 |
5,002 | Dr. Sean Flaherty | Franklin and Marshall College (USA) | Nov 27, 2019 |
5,001 | Mr Antonio Callari | Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA USA | Nov 27, 2019 |
5,000 | Dr. Blair Sandler | UMass Amherst; UC Hastings College of the Law | Nov 27, 2019 |
4,999 | Dr. Lydia Savage | University of Southern Maine | Nov 27, 2019 |
4,998 | Dr. Lorrayne Carroll | university of southern maine | Nov 27, 2019 |
4,997 | Dr. Richard McIntyre | Economics, University of Rhode Island | Nov 27, 2019 |
4,996 | Mrs Olivia Barbosa | Universidade de São Paulo | Nov 22, 2019 |
4,995 | Dr. Erica Hua Fletcher | University of California, Irvine | Nov 22, 2019 |
4,994 | Mr Álvaro de León | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Nov 06, 2019 |
4,993 | Dr. Greg Downey | Macquarie University | Oct 23, 2019 |
4,992 | Mr Gabriel Bayarri | Macquarie University and Complutense University | Oct 22, 2019 |
4,991 | Ms Riccardo Cravero | Università degli studi di Torino | Oct 14, 2019 |
4,990 | Ms Brittany Bro | University of Western Australia | Oct 14, 2019 |
4,989 | Mr José Morais | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 09, 2019 |
4,988 | Ms Flávia Julius | Macquarie University | Oct 09, 2019 |
4,987 | Ms Sophie Dahm | RMIT UNIVERSITY AUSTRALIA | Oct 09, 2019 |
4,986 | Ms Juliana Lobo de Queiroz | Swinburne University | Oct 09, 2019 |
4,985 | Ms Hanna Jagtenberg | University of Adelaide | Oct 08, 2019 |
4,984 | Ms Carol Pizzuti | The Royal Australasian College of Physicians | Oct 08, 2019 |
4,983 | Mr Andrew Fahey | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 08, 2019 |
4,982 | Dr. Evi Chatzipanagiotidou | Queen's University Belfast | Oct 08, 2019 |
4,981 | Dr. Lara McKenzie | The University of Western Australia | Oct 08, 2019 |
4,980 | Mrs Carolina Baos Mallol | Murdoch University | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,979 | Mrs Michele Walters | University of Queensland | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,978 | Mr Gareth Lewis | GLAnthropology | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,977 | Ms Justine Groizard | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,976 | Ms Katherine Hudson | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,975 | Dr. Fiona Magowan | Queen's University Belfast | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,974 | Ms Nina Kojovic | University of Queensland | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,973 | Dr. Linnéa Rowlatt | Network on Culture | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,972 | Dr. Barbara Evers | Murdoch University | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,971 | Dr. Anne Schwenkenbecher | Murdoch University | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,970 | Dr. Carol Warren | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,969 | Dr. Sandy Toussaint | University of Western Australia | Oct 07, 2019 |
4,968 | Miss Charlotte Looram | University of Western Australia | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,967 | Mr Phil Brown | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,966 | Dr. Sean Martin-Iverson | The University of Western Australia | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,965 | Dr. Jocelyn Avery | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,964 | Dr. Valerie Boll | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,963 | Ms Francesca Merlan | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,962 | Dr. Stewart Muir | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,961 | Dr. Robert Fisher | University of Sydney | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,960 | Dr. Anna Cristina Pertierra | Western Sydney University | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,959 | Dr. Eric Venbrux | Radboud University | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,958 | Ms Judith Hickson | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,957 | Mrs Hien Thi Nguyen | The University of Western Australia | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,956 | Dr. Gregory Acciaioli | The University of Western Australia | Oct 06, 2019 |
4,955 | Dr. Stacey Parker Aronson | University of Minnesota Morris | Sep 26, 2019 |
4,954 | Dr. Joshua Hendrick | Loyola University Maryland | Sep 23, 2019 |
4,953 | Dr. Paul Majkut | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Sep 06, 2019 |
4,952 | Miss Léa Lebourg-Leportier | Institutional Affiliation (optional) | Sep 04, 2019 |
4,951 | Miss Gaëlle Brigardis | Faculté paris8 | Sep 01, 2019 |
4,950 | Dr. Rita Moreira da Silva | Aug 31, 2019 | |
4,949 | Mr Oleg Zaika | Aug 31, 2019 | |
4,948 | Mr Stephen Twigg | Concerned Planitary Citizen | Aug 30, 2019 |
4,947 | Mr Niels Broen | University of Tartu Estonia | Aug 23, 2019 |
4,946 | Dr. Ernest Brewster | Iona | Aug 15, 2019 |
4,945 | Mrs Hasmik Harutyunyan | Aug 09, 2019 | |
4,944 | Ms Jeanine LaBarbera | Aug 06, 2019 | |
4,943 | Miss Adèle Payet | ENS de Lyon | Aug 05, 2019 |
4,942 | Dr. Ursula Frohne | University of Muenster | Jul 22, 2019 |
4,941 | Ms Arvee Salazar | Jul 21, 2019 | |
4,940 | Dr. Jens Timmermann | University of St Andrews | Jul 15, 2019 |
4,939 | Dr. Vânia Marcelino | Jul 13, 2019 | |
4,938 | Mr Henry Silver | Georgetown University | Jul 12, 2019 |
4,937 | Mr Frank Serpico | Retired NYC police Detective | Jul 11, 2019 |
4,936 | Ms Maria manuel Veloso | Jul 08, 2019 | |
4,935 | Dr. Andrey Khudenko | Odessa Mechnikov University (Ukraine) | Jul 04, 2019 |
4,934 | Ms Safonik lsdiea | Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko | Jul 04, 2019 |
4,933 | Dr. Victor Chernyshov | Poltava Yuriy Kondratyuk National Technical University (Poltava, Ukraine) | Jul 04, 2019 |
4,932 | Dr. Iryna Holovashenko | Ukraine, Vinnytsia | Jul 04, 2019 |
4,931 | Dr. Oleg Khoma | VNTU (Ukraine) | Jul 04, 2019 |
4,930 | Dr. Fabrice Jambois | Jul 03, 2019 | |
4,929 | Dr. Stephen Gregory | UNSW, Australia | Jun 21, 2019 |
4,928 | Mr Richard Jean- | Jun 21, 2019 | |
4,927 | Mr Lionel Guiltat | Jun 17, 2019 | |
4,926 | Mrs Marcella Leite-Cortes | Jun 17, 2019 | |
4,925 | Mr Wiktor Cichecki | University of Warsaw | Jun 13, 2019 |
4,924 | Dr. YEO Kolotioloma Nicolas | Université Alasane Ouattara (Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire) | Jun 13, 2019 |
4,923 | Ms Nina Shchurakova | Jun 12, 2019 | |
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