public philosophy
Statement of Non-Cooperation with the Journal of Political Philosophy (updated with list of signatories)
The following resolution, prompted by recent developments at the Journal of Political Philosophy, was drafted by Simon Căbulea May (Florida State) with input from others. (more…)
Online Philosophy Resources Weekly Update
The weekly report on new and revised entries at online philosophy resources and new reviews of philosophy books… (more…)
The Practicality of Philosophy
“There is something philistine in his demand that philosophy always answer to practical needs.” (more…)
Wiley Removes Goodin as Editor of the Journal of Political Philosophy (Updated)
Robert Goodin, the founding and longtime editor of the Journal of Political Philosophy, has been removed from his position at the journal by its publisher, Wiley. (more…)
Enoch To Take Up Chair of Legal Philosophy at Oxford
David Enoch, currently professor of philosophy and law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, will be taking up the position of Chair of Legal Philosophy at Oxford University. (more…)
What’s So Bad About “Bad” Philosophy?
In some domains, “overall quality depends on how good the worst stuff is,” while in others, “overall quality depends on how good the best stuff is, and the bad stuff barely matters.” (more…)
Vallier Wins 2023 Sanders Philosophy of Religion Prize
Kevin Vallier, associate professor of philosophy at Bowling Green State University, is the winner of the 2023 Philosophy of Religion Prize from the Marc Sanders Foundation. (more…)
Rutgers Faculty on Strike; Most Philosophy Faculty Support It (Updated)
Rutgers faculty yesterday began a strike, halting teaching, research, and service activities as part of the effort to obtain pay raises, more job stability for adjunct professors, living wages for graduate student workers, increased support for caregivers, greater security in academic freedom, and other improvements. (more…)
Philosophy Book Recognized by Association for Asian Studies
The Joseph Levenson Prize is awarded by the Association for Asian Studies to “the English-language books that make the greatest contribution to increasing understanding of the history, culture, society, politics, or economy of China.” (more…)
Sex Discrimination in a Philosophy Job Search at BGSU (guest post)
Last week we reported on how Christian Coons, associate professor of philosophy at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), is facing disciplinary proceedings that may lead to his termination from the university (here). This development has its origins in Coons’s complaints about irregularities in a job search conducted by the Department of Philosophy during the 2015-..
Philosophy of Animal Minds and Behavior Prize Awarded
The Philosophy of Animal Minds and Behavior Association (PAMBA) has announced the winners of its first Essay Prize. (more…)
Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Academic Philosophy (guest post)
An undergraduate student in philosophy has been wondering whether their dyslexia gives them a strong reason to avoid pursuing graduate study and a career in academic philosophy. (more…)
A Philosophy Conference to Benefit Ukraine (updated)
Author Margaret Atwood, historian Timothy Snyder (Yale), two of Ukraine’s preeminent public intellectuals, Mychailo Wynnyckyj and Volodymyr Yermolenko, will join a slate of well-known philosophers at an online benefit conference for Ukraine taking place next month. (more…)
Do Something! Reflections on MeToo and Philosophy (guest post) (updated)
When several years ago I posted the screenshot of a defamatory tweet by a serial harasser on my Facebook page (for “friends” only), I did not expect how people would react to this. Tenured philosophers, including many with left-wing or liberal politics cautioned me to take down the post. They private messaged me urging I should take it down, and even publicly chided..
The “Secret Syllabus” of Being a Graduate Student in Philosophy
There’s what professors expect their students to be doing in order to be successful in graduate school and beyond, and then there’s what successful graduate students are actually doing. (more…)
NUS Philosophy Apologizes for Rejection Email Mishap
To its credit, the Department of Philosophy at National University of Singapore, in a timely manner, emailed some applicants to its recently advertised open rank position to inform them that they were no longer being considered for the job. Unfortunately, the email addresses of all of the recipients of the rejection letter were visible in the “cc” section of the mes..
How Risk-Averse is Academic Philosophy?
“Philosophical inquiry thrives when it is conducted in a spirit that risks overreaching a bit,” yet “the current incentive structure of academic philosophy in the United States favors cautious and modest research agendas for early career philosophers.” (more…)
The Development of Experimental Philosophy
A recent survey of publications in experimental philosophy provides a picture of the field’s growth and range. (more…)
Philosophy Major at Utica Targeted for Elimination
The president of Utica University, Laura Casamento, at the prompting of Utica’s Board of Trustees, has recommended that the university no longer offer students the opportunity to major in philosophy. A petition has been launched to protest the proposed elimination of the philosophy major. (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…)
Online Philosophy Resources Weekly Update
The weekly report on new and revised entries at online philosophy resources and new reviews of philosophy books… (more…)
UMass Center for Philosophy and Children Wins Grant
Last year, the Department of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, created a Center for Philosophy and Children (see this post). Now the Center has won a $250,000 grant to support its programs. (more…)
Sanders Prizes in Early Modern and Philosophy of Mind Awarded
The Marc Sanders Foundation has announced the winners of its 2022 Early Modern Philosophy Prize and its 2022 Philosophy of Mind Prize. (more…)
Barcelona Institute of Analytic Philosophy Wins €2 Million María de Maeztu Prize
The Barcelona Institute of Analytic Philosophy (BIAP) has been awarded the María de Maeztu Prize by the Spanish government’s Ministry of Science and Innovation. (more…)
Philosophy News of 2022
A brief look back…
Journal of the History of Philosophy Book Prize
The Journal of the History of Philosophy (JHP) has announced the winner of its 2022 Book Prize. (more…)
Are Philosophy’s Glory Days in Bioethics Over? (guest post)
How has philosophy’s role in cognate disciplines been changing? We could ask this question about philosophy and political theory, or cognitive science, or business ethics, or theoretical physics, and so on. In the following guest post, the focus is on philosophy and bioethics. (more…)
All Souls Philosophy Exam Questions
A necessary condition of becoming an Examination (or Prize) Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, is taking an exam. (more…)