Philosophy and Politics

MLK on Nonviolent Resistance

In recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, here are MLK’s six principles of nonviolent resistance.

Philosophers Petition APA to Issue Statement on Gaza (updated)

“We, the undersigned members of the APA and the wider philosophical community, write to express our dismay and deep disappointment regarding the APA’s conspicuous silence concerning the genocide unfolding in Palestine.” (more…)

Philosopher Wraps Cooperation with Trump in Flag of Academic Freedom

Alex Byrne (MIT) has written an op-ed in The Washington Post in which he admits to being one of the co-authors of the US government’s “Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria” Report, discussed previously. (more…)

Philosopher Resigns from Naval War College in Protest of Trump’s & Hegseth’s Policies

Pauline M. Shanks Kaurin, a philosopher specializing in military ethics, just war theory, and applied ethics, has resigned from her position as the Admiral James B. Stockdale Chair in Professional Military Ethics at the Naval War College (Newport, Rhode Island), because she believes that “the kind of teaching and research the Navy once hired her to do will now be im..

APA Signs Onto Statement Defending the Dept. of Education

The Board of Officers of the American Philosophical Association (APA) has added the organization to a list of signatories of a statement opposing the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education. (more…)

While Tables Burn: On the (Non) Existence of Trans People and the Failure of Philosophy (guest post)

“There are indeed consequences when we punch down or pretend that what is, in fact, a hostile attack, is merely ‘inquiry for inquiry’s sake.’ Aside from the emotional wounds we inflict on actual people, philosophical discourse matters beyond that. It did matter in this case.” (more…)

The Future of the Department of Education

Elon Musk—a businessman apparently being allowed by President Trump to tread upon whatever and whomever he pleases in his capacity as head budget-slasher-of-questionable-Constitutionality of the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (not actually a U.S. government department)—has recently set his sights on the Department of Education. (more…)

Political Philosophy’s “Obsolescence” In a World of Trump, etc.

“I strongly suspect that much of political philosophy and political theory and not a little bit of ‘applied,’ policy-salient ethics of the last three to four score years, despite purporting to express eternal propositions that convey what we ought to do, went out of date this week.” (more…)

Patriotism, etc.

In light of Donald Trump’s election victory, there are both substantive and strategic reasons to take up questions about what patriotism is and what it asks of us.

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Misinformation Mistakes (guest post)

“The mistake involves grouping together into an all-or-nothing package entire sets of claims whose epistemological credentials are quite varied. It also often involves collapsing epistemic and moral concerns.” (more…)

American Philosophers Should Condemn the War in Gaza (guest post)

“American academic philosophers should speak out to condemn the Israeli assault on Gaza.” (more…)

Moral Philosophy as War Propaganda (guest post)

“The hellish reality of this war is transfigured by philosophers into abstract thought experiments and technical prose.” (more…)

Disproportionate and Intended Harm to Innocents in Israel’s War in Gaza (guest post)

“Experts on just war disagree on what precisely counts as permissible proportion. But clearly this is grossly disproportionate.”

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Israel, Hamas, and “Blowback” (guest post)

“The proportionality constraint is backward-looking in the following sense: to determine how bad a prospective harm is for a potential innocent victim, we sometimes need to look at what that victim has suffered in the past, and whether we’re responsible for what they’ve suffered” as well as “whether we should have acted differently in the past thereby avoiding the n..

Proportionality, Psychic Harm, and the Day After (guest post)

“Once we count psychic harm, it looks like Israel’s war might be proportional. But it could be proportional only if the Israelis aren’t imposing on basically all Gazans a greater psychic burden than the psychic burden that Israelis hope to avoid,” which could be the case “if Israel takes it upon itself, as soon as possible, to reassure the Gazans that Gaza will not ..

Condemnations, Moral Guidance, and Gaza (guest post)

“The absence of moral guidance by philosophical condemners conveys that they do not think of Israelis as friends whom they want to morally improve. Perhaps, worse, it reflects the sense that there is something morally improper about providing Israelis with guidance and advice…” (more…)

There Is No Military Objective In Gaza (guest post)

“There is no feasible or achievable military goal, legitimate or otherwise, for Israel’s bloody campaign in Gaza.” (more…)

Israel & Hamas: Another Letter, Another Critical Response (updated)

As mentioned in an update to this post, a group of philosophers posted an open letter, dated November 1, 2023, under the heading “Philosophy for Palestine.” (more…)

Israel, Hamas, and the Narratives of Atrocity (guest post)

“The need to stop the narratives that rationalize what is indefensible is clear. How to stop such narratives is not.” (more…)

Proportionality and Responsibility in the Israel-Hamas Conflict (guest post)

What do the “moral constraints that apply to defensive force” imply in a situation as complicated as the conflict between Israel and Hamas? (more…)

Is Any of Analytic Philosophy’s Dominance Owed to McCarthyism?

“It is clear enough that McCarthyism and its legacy were sufficient to make life hard for a particular strand of opposition to the analytic mainstream, characterized by its general adherence to empiricism and liberalism: those who were broadly Marxists.” (more…)

Rawls on the Limits—and Limited Exposure—of Philosophy

In an interview in 1991, John Rawls is asked, “When you look at current events, in general, do you think of them with the A Theory of Justice framework in mind?” (more…)

Philosophy & Activism (guest post)

While some people have argued that political activism is in tension with academic inquiry (here, for example), there have been plenty of well-regarded scholars who have engaged in such activism, including in philosophy. (more…)

Arizona’s Legislative Attempt to Recruit Philosophers to Alter State’s K-12 Curriculum

While considering the state budget bill for 2021-22, the Arizona House of Representatives last month approved an amendment to it that would have required the state’s Board of Education to work with the University of Arizona’s Center for the Philosophy of Freedom and others to develop a civic education standards for high schools emphasizing “the blessings of liberty”..

Scottish Newspaper: Philosophy is a “Vaccine” Against Future Trumps

The Scotsman, one of Scotland’s leading newspapers, called for a greater emphasis on philosophy in education, saying “we need to vaccinate ourselves against the virulent lies of people like Trump and the best way to do that is to teach the wisdom of Socrates and co to our children.” (more…)