Recent links…

1. “If one person does it, it’s not cancel culture.” “But if it’s okay for one person to do it, why isn’t it okay for a very large number of people to do it?” — a book on free speech is reviewed, in dialogue format, by Brad Skow (MIT)
2. What do you wish you had known about doing a PhD in philosophy? — 12 philosophy graduate students answer the question on the latest episode of The Philosopher’s Nest
3. “Improved AIs pose an existential threat to their unimproved originals in the same manner that smarter-than-human AIs pose an existential threat to humans” — Peter Salib (Houston) on why AIs will not “want” to self-improve, and so are in an important way less dangerous (via MR)
4. “Lurking in the standard position, which uniformly treats clarity as the effect [of successful] analysis, is a possible equivocation about what is fundamentally achieved” — Eric Schliesser (Amsterdam) seeks clarity on the varieties of clarity philosophers have cared about
5. “Because of the growth and further intensification of animal production, humans inflict more suffering on animals today than they did in 1975” but the trends since then are “not all negative” — Peter Singer (Princeton) reflects on the treatment of animals, 50 years after his first article on the subject was published
6. “I am now so convinced of the magic of teaching philosophy outside that I have no intention of going back inside, and I think others should try it” — Ryan J. Johnson (Elon) with the case for taking your courses outside
7. “Four basic assumptions prevalent among UFO researchers and enthusiasts, as well as the general public that… deserve some prodding” — outer space meets logical space in a philosophical look at how the “UFO community” operates, from Michael Glawson

Discussion welcome.

Mini-Heap posts usually appear when 7 or so new items accumulate in the Heap of Links, a collection of items from around the web that may be of interest to philosophers.

The Heap of Links consists partly of suggestions from readers; if you find something online that you think would be of interest to the philosophical community, please send it in for consideration for the Heap. Thank you.