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Philosopher’s Index vs. PhilPapers

Wayne Bivens-Tatum, the philosophy and religion librarian at Princeton University, has published a comparison of Philosopher’s Index and PhilPapers at his blog, Academic Librarian. As he notes, “choosing between the two of them might be a budgetary necessity for librarians who wanted to subscribe to PhilPapers under the new terms.”

Kamm on Israel and Gaza

Frances Kamm (Harvard) brings her analytical prowess to bear on an Israeli Ambassador’s just war-based defense of the killing of Gaza civilians, in a piece at the Boston Review. (via Robert Long)

Heap of Links

1. Jason Stanley (Yale) brings political philosophy to bear on Detroit and the idea of “emergency managers” in The New York Times. Detroit’s Metro Times calls it the “most interesting read on the situation.”
2. “Things you should know before publishing a book.”
3. Looking for a brief, clear, and motivated explanation of likelihoodist, Bayesian, and frequentist meth..

PhilPapers and Philosophy Documentation Center Collaboration

PhilPapers and the Philosophy Documentation Center will be working together to expand the amount of information available via PhilPapers and to better manage PhilPapers’ subscription services. PhilPapers has also upgraded its search system. David Bourget and David Chalmers tell us what’s going on and what to expect: (more…)

Blackburn and Me, Me, Me

Simon Blackburn gives us his version of a “kids, these days, let me tell you” cranky rant about selfies, which he rescues from crankyland only by saying we should respond to the vanity and conceit and narcissism encouraged in today’s society with mockery. Seems to me, though, that only someone completely full of himself would attempt such a sweeping characterization..

Do We Need Philosophy of Religion Anymore?

There has been some blogging recently about whether philosophy of religion should still be taught. The recent discussion appears to have been sparked by an interview that a blogger known as the Godless Skeptic conducted with Graham Oppy (Monash) about his recent book, Reinventing Philosophy of Religion, in which he objects to the homogeneity of the field, which is c..

What Do Philosophy Majors Do? LinkedIn’s Answer

LinkedIn, a service I am familiar with largely through doing battle with its hydra-like emailing, has a feature called “Field of Study Explorer.” Its aim is to provide information to would be college students about the kinds of jobs and employers different majors end up with. Of course, what the service really tells you is what kinds of jobs and employers that diffe..

Maybe Next Summer

Amanda Ann Klein, an associate professor of film studies at East Carolina University, writes:

A few months ago, after a failed attempt to get a job at a university that might actually pay me a salary commensurate with my rank and experience, I came to the realization that the stress and late nights, the self doubt and loathing, were now unnecessary. I am not going t..

Heap of Links

1. Advocates of the “open carry” of firearms sometimes enter stores, restaurants, and other establishments, proudly and openly carrying their guns. What is the rational thing to do in this situation? Jack Russell Weinstein (North Dakota) has an answer: GTFO. Wonkette has the story.
2. The mechanism by which the brain reinforces learning has a side-effect that causes..

Lucy Allais (Sussex, Witwatersrand) half-time to UC San Diego

Lucy Allais, currently senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Sussex and associate professor of philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand, has accepted an appointment at the University of California, San Diego, where she will be in residence during the Winter and Spring quarters. The remainder of her time will be at Witwatersrand. Professor Allai..

Ludlow’s Defamation Lawsuit Dismissed

Peter Ludlow’s defamation lawsuit against Sun-Times Media, Cumulus Broadcasting, and Fox Television Stations, Inc., for describing the sexual assault he has been accused of as “rape,” was dismissed. Details here. (via Feminist Philosophers)

David Enoch on Israel and Gaza

Some means — even though they’re best for achieving a goal — might be so evil that the goal should be dropped, as long as we’re not forced to pursue it. If the only way to promote freedom from repression is terror, this could be enough to justify dropping this legitimate goal.

David Enoch, professor of philosophy and law at Hebrew University, weighs in on the curren..

The 30 Harshest Philosopher-on-Philosopher Insults

Flavorwire lists the “30 Harshest Philosopher-on-Philosopher Insults in History.” I have heard worse.

Do You Want to Date a Philosopher?

We’ve all dated a dude in academia and, yes, that mysterious air of “think of all these deep, important, bookish things that he knows” can be intoxicating at first. His vague condescension can even be a turn-on, in the right context. But cut to six months later when you’re hungover, blearily sharing a plate of hash browns at the Waffle House he deeply feels is benea..

Heap of Links

1. “The fact you are unwilling to examine the philosophical foundations of what you do does not mean those foundations are not there; it just means they are unexamined.” Physicist George Ellis is interviewed at Scientific American’s site.
2. The researchers behind a study (previously) that concluded that students would rather self-administer shocks than spend time a..

The Ideas of Objectionable Philosophers

A reader writes:

Recently I have found myself engaging less with the work of certain philosophers who have engaged in highly objectionable or unprofessional behavior, either not addressing and citing it when it could be relevant, or not reading it when I am unsure of its relevance. I am unsure whether I should be moved by these “personal” considerations. On the one ..

Daily Nous Blocked in Russia

Anna Alexandrova (Cambridge) writes: “Dear Daily Nous, I have just tried to access you from Russia and you are blocked (see screenshot). My sincere congratulations! You are doing something right clearly.”

Philosophy Titles: the good, the witty, the clever

Mike Otsuka (LSE) and friends have been collecting humorous titles of philosophy works. He gave me permission to share the project with Daily Nous readers. So, below is a list of titles selected from their collection, starting with a classic. Feel free to add more in the comments. (more…)

Heap of Links

1. There is a “profound disconnect between Heidegger’s anti-Semitic prejudice and his philosophy,” argues Michael Marder (University of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gastiez). But even if there wasn’t, Plato defended slavery and we still read him. Hmmm… so I guess part of the defense of Heidegger comes down to “what, too soon?”
2. The Mod Squad this week is featurin..

Heap of Links

1. You have just 10 minutes until your next meeting? Write. 15 minutes between classes? Write. 8 minutes before that advisee comes knocking? Write, dammit.
2. Early risers are less moral at night, compared with night owls.
3. An interview with Corey Mohler, the man behind Existentialist Comics. (via Philosophy Matters)
4. “Conspiracy theorists ruin the whole game fo..

The “Most Cerebral Marriage”

“Derek Parfit and Janet Radcliffe-Richards believe that philosophy should guide behaviour. Their marriage shows that it can.” Prospect Magazine has the story. (via Doug Portmore)

Overcoming the Analytic-Contintental Divide

There is quite a bit that can be done to reconcile analytical and continental approaches, combining them into an expanded view of philosophy that has both depth and breadth, and is concerned both with specific technical “puzzles” as well as with broad socio-political issues.

At Scientia Salon, Massimo Pigliucci tries to get a grip on what the analytic – contintental..

The Future of the Philosophy Profession

Many graduate philosophy programs rely upon what could be characterized as a game of bait and switch. These programs exist not because there is a job market for their graduates. They exist for a variety of reasons, including the intrinsic value of philosophy and institutional mandates to produce Ph.D.’s. But they also exist in part to help universities reduce the co..

Whose Problem Is It? (Guest Post by Heidi Lockwood)

Heidi Lockwood is associate professor of philosophy at Southern Connecticut State University, where she focuses on questions in logic, metaphysics, and epistemology. She also works on issues in the philosophy profession, particularly regarding the treatment of women (see this post for example). She kindly authored the following guest post* on the issue of whose resp..

Heap of Links

1. The Good Society jounal is providing open access to its new special issue, “Democratic Theory and Mass Incarceration,” with articles by Elizabeth Anderson (Michigan), Christopher Bennett (Sheffield), and a number of political theorists and law professors.
2. Philosophy of extra-terrestrials? Carol Cleland (Colorado), Iris Fry (Technion), and Clément Vidal (Free U..

Petition to Investigate Contingent Faculty Employment

Over 1000 people so far have signed a petition asking the U.S. Department of Labor to “open an investigation into the labor practices of our colleges and universities in the employment of contingent faculty, including adjunct instructors and full-time contract faculty outside the tenure-track.”

Hong Kong’s Rawlsian Activists

Over breakfast at a sandwich place in Kowloon Tong, three of Hong Kong’s most famous student activists are talking about their roles in Occupy Central. Like all students, Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Agnes Chow Ting, both 18, and Alex Chow Yong-kang, 23, talk about problems within the government and the need for greater social justice. They draw on philosophical argumen..

The Book of Rankings

It’s getting late, at least where I live. How about a bedtime story?

And in the 2500 eons of time before ranked time, there was formlessness. Apart from The Academy and The Lyceum, one knew not where a department stood, nor how deeply one might plant one’s feet. One’s judgment was clouded by the gossip of the philosophers and the void created by opinion and argument..