Academic Freedom

Emmanuel College Dissociates from Cofnas

Emmanuel College, Cambridge University has “cut ties” with Nathan Cofnas, a philosopher on a Leverhulme Trust fellowship there, because of his research on race and intelligence. However, Cofnas retains his fellowship as part of the Faculty of Philosophy at the university, so it is unclear whether this is merely a symbolic gesture by the college or a decision that af..

Hobart and William Smith Colleges Fails Its Faculty and Its Students

Mark D. Gearan, president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, has removed political theorist Jodi Dean from her courses because she authored a pro-Palestinian blog post, published on April 9th. (more…)

University Revokes Philosopher’s Visiting Professorship over Signing of “Philosophy for Palestine” Letter (updated)

The University of Cologne yesterday withdrew its invitation to Nancy Fraser (New School) to take up its 2024 Albertus Magnus Professorship, a visiting position that the university considers a “special honor,” because Professor Fraser had been one of several hundred signatories of the “Philosophy for Palestine” open letter published last November. (more…)

Lang on Academic Freedom

Gerald Lang (Leeds) has a thoughtful discussion of academic freedom, prompted by the UK government’s appointment of a “free speech tsar” (who happens to be Cambridge philosopher Arif Ahmed), over at the PEA Soup Blog. (more…)

Philosophy Professor vs. University on Accommodations

A philosophy professor at Queen’s University in Canada has been booted from the logic course she was teaching owing to a dispute between her and the university’s Exams Office over accommodating students who require the use of a computer for taking exams. (more…)

How Do You Teach About Free Speech and Academic Freedom?

If I wanted to plan a newsworthy cancellation, I’d invite Robert George to a small liberal arts college to talk about the value of free speech. (more…)

Professors’ Lawsuit Says Idaho Anti-Abortion Law Violates Free Speech Rights

A group of professors, including two philosophy professors, along with the Idaho Federation of Teachers and the University of Idaho Faculty Federation, have filed a lawsuit challenging a 2021 state law that prevents state funds from being used to “procure, counsel in favor, refer to or perform an abortion”. (more…)

Academic Freedom & Violence: The Kershnar Case Continues

Lawyers for Steven Kershnar argued, in a hearing earlier this month, that the philosophy professor should be allowed back on the SUNY Fredonia campus, where he has long been employed. (more…)

Statement from Philosophy Professors & Graduate Students on University of Waterloo Attack

A statement from philosophers in response to the knife attack on the professor and students in a philosophy of gender course at the University of Waterloo this week, in which they “affirm our commitment to academic freedom, and condemn all uses of violence, intimidation, or derogation that attempt to undermine philosophical examinations of gender and sexuality” has ..

Philosopher To Be Appointed UK’s First “Free Speech Tsar”

Arif Ahmed, professor of philosophy at the University of Cambridge, has reportedly been selected as UK’s first “free speech tsar” by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. (more…)

Sosa Comments on Experiences with Wiley

Ernest Sosa (Rutgers), the longtime editor-in-chief of Philosophy and Phenomenological Research and Noûs (and editor of its supplement, Philosophical Issues), journals published by Wiley, offers a comment in light of what is happening at The Journal of Political Philosophy: (more…)

Refereeing & Freedom of Information Acts (updated)

As noted in an update to a previous post, philosopher David Wallace (Pittsburgh) has made a request under the UK’s Freedom of Information Act for Oxford University Press (OUP) to provide him with correspondence related to certain publication decisions on recent submissions by Alex Byrne (MIT), Holly Lawford-Smith (Melbourne), and Richard Marshall. (more…)

What It’s Like to Be a Philosopher with Unpopular Views on a Controversial Subject (multiple updates)

“A couple of weeks later, I heard that OUP would not be publishing Trouble with Gender… for the sole reason that ‘the book does not treat the subject in a sufficiently serious and respectful way.’ No errors in the manuscript were identified and… no revisions were allowed.”

(more…)

BGSU Threatens Whistleblower Philosopher’s Job

Christian Coons, associate professor of philosophy at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), is facing disciplinary proceedings that could lead to his termination for a series of events that began with him raising questions about how a job search was conducted, continued with him voicing concerns about the lack of evidence being considered in an investigation of his..

Florida Philosophical Association Calls for University Leaders to Stand Up to “Government Overreach into the Academy”

In the face of legislation proposed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis that would violate academic freedom, erode tenure protections, and diminish faculty governance at the state’s universities and colleges (see a summaries here and here) the Florida Philosophical Association (FPA) has issued a letter to the leaders of those schools calling for them to “uphold and pub..

APA Issues Statement on Academic Freedom in Florida

Academic freedom and shared governance in institutions of higher learning must remain free from political intrusion. Political restrictions on teaching and scholarship undermine the ability of philosophers and other university researchers to search for and disseminate knowledge. This compromises the fundamental mission of the university. (more…)

Russian Philosophy Journal Retracts Article Because of Law Banning “LGBT Propaganda”

Retraction Watch reports: “A Russian philosophy journal has retracted a paper about lesbian fashion magazines, citing a newly passed law that bans ‘propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations and (or) preferences.'” (more…)

Teaching and Writing About Abortion in Idaho (and elsewhere?)

“Academic freedom is not a defense to violation of law, and faculty or others in charge of classroom topics and discussion must themselves remain neutral on the topic and cannot conduct or engage in discussions in violation of these prohibitions without risking prosecution.” (more…)

Oxford University Press (OUP) has responded to an open letter circulated earlier this month (the first letter covered in this post) that voiced concerns about its decision to publish next month a book about gender-critical feminism by philosophy professor Holly Lawford-Smith (Melbourne). (more…)

Removal of Philosophy Professor from Institute Directorship Raises Academic Freedom Concerns

The administration at St. Olaf College has ended, one year early, the appointment of philosophy and religion professor Edmund Santurri as director of the College’s Institute for Freedom & Community. (more…)

Campus Controversies and “Inclusion… in the Activity of Knowledge Seeking”

Last September, when the Department of Philosophy at Rhodes College invited Peter Singer (Princeton) to participate in a webinar on pandemic ethics, faculty in other units on campus objected and urged that the event be canceled. (more…)

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