history of philosophy
TagOut of Context Philosophy
If you open up a philosophy article or chapter on your computer, the software you’re using, now updated with various AI features, may present you with something like the following message: “This looks like a long article. Would you like me to summarize it for you?” (more…)
New Writings by Empedocles Discovered
The ideas of 5th Century BCE philosopher Empedocles have reached us mostly* through paraphrases or fragmentary quotes of his work by later authors, but a new set of his own writings have now been found. (more…)
Lots More Leibniz
2000 pages of Leibniz, much of it previously untranslated or unpublished, will be published next month. (more…)
The Philosophy Curricula in Mid-20th Century UK Universities
Who and what was covered in philosophy courses at UK universities in the 1950s and 1960s? (more…)
“On Liberty” Now Officially Has Two Authors
An edition of On Liberty published this month is the first to officially name Harriet Taylor Mill as a co-author alongside John Stuart Mill. (more…)
How Old Philosophers Are When Their Influence Peaks?
Philosophers of the past 100 years or so have tended to reach “peak influence” between their early 50s and late 60s, according to a new analysis from Eric Schwitzgebel (UC Riverside). (more…)
When [Philosopher] Is Not A [Philosopher]-ian
“David Hume was not a Humean.” (more…)
Discussion Arcs for Topics and Philosophers (guest post)
When over the past 85 years have certain terms and persons been more or less frequently discussed in the philosophical literature? (more…)
A Brief Appreciation of Rawls
If you appreciate Rawls, you should read this brief essay by Joseph Heath. If you don’t appreciate Rawls, you should read this brief essay by Joseph Heath. (more…)
Jorati Wins JHP Book Prize
The Journal of the History of Philosophy has announced that Julia Jorati, professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is the winner of its 2025 Book Prize. (more…)
Stratmann Wins JHP Article Prize
The Journal of the History of Philosophy has announced that the winner of its 2025 article prize is Joe Stratmann, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (more…)
Frege and Philosophy at Home
When did analytic philosophy begin? Many who ask that question answer: 1879, the year Gottlob Frege’s Begriffsschrift was published. But how did Frege, a math professor whose studies originally focused on geometry, do it? Is it true that “Frege created logic and analytic philosophy out of nothing”? (more…)
What’s in a Name? “Philosophy” in Non-European Traditions (guest post)
If certain cultures didn’t have the word “philosophy,” or a word that can directly be translated with “philosophy,” is it illegitimate, maybe culturally imperialist, to impose it on them? (more…)
The Paradox of Analytic Philosophy’s Success
“The paradox is that the more analytic philosophy became dominant in the universities, the more it became removed from the concerns of the average person with philosophical interests.” (more…)
Teachable and State of the Art
A philosophy professor has a question about teaching that I think will resonate with many readers. (more…)
New: Journal for New Narratives in the History of Philosophy
Journal for New Narratives in the History of Philosophy (JNNHP) is a new, online, open-access, peer-reviewed journal. (more…)
Against “Throwaway Culture” in Philosophy
Throwaway culture refers to a culture in which the consumption and production of many goods is based on the practice of discarding them after just one or a few uses. (more…)
British Society for the History of Philosophy Announces Recent Prizewinners
The British Society for the History of Philosophy and its journal, The British Journal for the History of Philosophy, have announced the latest winners of its prizes. (more…)
Philosophical Canon Expansion Gets Big Boost in Minnesota
Philosophers at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities have been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to further support the work of their Center for Canon Expansion and Change. (more…)
Museum Exhibit on Margaret Cavendish Opens
Margaret Cavendish: Trailblazer is a new exhibition at Hollytrees Museum in Colchester, UK exploring the fascinating life and writings of the 17th century philosopher, scientist, and author Margaret Cavendish. (more…)
Part of the Analytic Tradition, But Maybe Not Philosophers
“Are there people who are unambiguously part of the analytic movement, but it is an interesting question whether they are an analytic philosopher?” (more…)
New Interactive Visualization of Philosophy
Designer Deniz Cem Önduygu has built a new interactive visualization of philosophy. (more…)
Most Cited Recent Philosophy Articles, Year by Year
“What philosophy journal article, published less than ten years ago, has the most citations in philosophy journals?” (more…)
Campbell Wins JHP’s Article Prize
The Journal of the History of Philosophy (JHP) has awarded its 2024 Article Prize to Douglas R. Campbell (Alma College). (more…)
Philosophy of Mind is Very Different Now (guest post)
A field of study may change over time, but since, whatever a field of study is, it’s made up of various kinds of things—researchers, norms, institutions, publications, questions, assumptions—its components may not change at the same rate, or in the same ways.
Lavender Wins Sanders Early Modern Prize
The Marc Sanders Foundation has awarded its Prize in the History of Early Modern Philosophy to Jordan Lavender (Purdue; soon to be Texas A&M). (more…)
A New Tool to Track and Analyze Philosophers’ Mentions (guest post)
Philosophers have always referred to other philosophers in their writing, but not always with citations. (more…)
The Outsider Perspective
At one point in his 2017 Dewey Lecture (the audio of which was recently posted at the Blog of the APA), William Lycan (UNC) remarks on a comment of Dave Chalmers‘ (NYU) that “the age of the greats has passed.” (more…)