public philosophy
TagTechnology and the Near Future
Apropos last week’s “We’re Not Ready for the AI on the Horizon, But People Are Trying,” here is economist and policy analyst Samuel Hammond on what the near future holds: (more…)
“New Work In Philosophy” Launches
A new multimedia newsletter for “disseminating and discussing new work in philosophy” went live today. (more…)
Trade Secrets: From Academic Literature to Trade Books (guest post)
Erik Angner, professor of practical philosophy at Stockholm University, has authored a book intended not mainly for academic readers, but for the general public—a trade book, as they’re known. Switching from writing academic articles and getting them published to writing How Economics Can Save the World and getting it published was a process he found surprisingly ..
FTX, Moral Philosophy, Public Philosophy
Does the FTX debacle hold lessons for moral philosophers? For those interested in public philosophy? (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…)
The Philosopher Advising Billionaires on Philanthropy
“Advising billionaires on how to give away their money and encourage them to give more is definitely not where I saw my life going.” (more…)
Philosopher’s Work Chosen as Art Festival Theme
Artissima, a major Italian international contemporary art fair, has chosen a philosophical theme for its 2022 edition: “transformative experience.” (more…)
Over 450 Academics Sign Statement Opposing Animal Exploitation
Over 450 academics, many of whom work in moral and political philosophy, have signed onto the “Montreal Declaration on Animal Exploitation.” (more…)
New Director of Royal Institute of Philosophy
The Royal Institute of Philosophy, a charitable organization focused on bringing philosophy to the public, has announced that it has a new director. (more…)
Play Based on Research by Dennett and LaScola to Open in NYC
“In the classic tale of religious conversion, finding God holds the promise of a life filled with purpose and meaning. But what happens when this transformation occurs in reverse, and a faith you have built your life around begins to fall away?” (more…)
Lam from Vassar to UC Riverside
Barry Lam, who until recently was Associate Professor of Philosophy at Vassar College, and who is well-known as the creator of the popular philosophy podcast Hi-Phi Nation, is now Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. (more…)
The Philosophy Guild (guest post)
“Most contemporary philosophy writing is just bad writing… How did things go so wrong? It’s tempting to declare that philosophers are simply terrible writers, but I think that’s a mistake…” (more…)
New: “Thinking Hard & Slow” Podcast
The Royal Institute of Philosophy (RIP) has launched a new podcast, “Thinking Hard & Slow.” (more…)
Public Philosophy Project Wins DFG Communicator Award
The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, or DFG) has named “denXte,” a public philosophy project led by Markus Schrenk (Düsseldorf), the winner of its 2022 Communicator Award. (more…)
Philosophy TikTok
Who’s doing philosophy on TikTok? Enough people that Slate ran an article about the phenomenon. (more…)
The Problems with Philosophers: A Reply to Weinberg (guest post)
Last week, I posted about an exchange between historians Amna Khalid and Jeffrey Aaron Snyder (both of Carleton College), and philosopher Michael Veber (East Carolina), using Veber’s contribution to highlight some things philosophers sometimes do that might contribute to a negative impression about them. (more…)
The Purpose of a University / Negativity about Philosophers
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about a popular tweet asking why people had negative attitudes towards philosophers and philosophy. Later that day, an email brought to my attention an essay and response to it that seemed to be the kind of thing one might point to as part of an explanation for those negative attitudes. (more…)
Philosophers for Ukraine Project
Anton Tarasyuk, a Ukrainian, currently in Kyiv, with an MA in philosophy, is part of a group launching the project, “Philosophers for Ukraine.” (more…)
Philosophers On The Russian Attack On Ukraine
On February 24th, Russia began an invasion of Ukraine, starting with missile strikes on several locations, including Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and since then has continued its attack via air and ground warfare, despite near universal international condemnation of its actions. (more…)
When Philosophizing in Public, Remember How Strange We May Seem
Philosophers have a long history of being misunderstood by others. The risk of dangerous misunderstandings have led some philosophers in previous eras to take a variety of strategies—careful phrasings, flattery, literary devices, understatement, pseudonyms, running away—to avoid getting in trouble with the masses or their rulers. (more…)
Winners of the APA’s 2021 Public Philosophy Op-Ed Contest
The American Philosophical Association (APA) has announced the winners of its 2021 Public Philosophy Op-Ed Contest. (more…)
Mintz-Woo Wins 2021 Light Award
The International Society for Environmental Ethics (ISEE) has awarded its 2021 Andrew Light Award for Public Philosophy to Kian Mintz-Woo, permanent lecturer at University College Cork. (more…)
Assigning Public Philosophy Projects to Undergraduates (guest post)
In some of his recent courses, Daniel Munro, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, has tried assigning something different from the traditional essays and exams: creative public philosophy projects. (more…)
10 Initiatives Win APA Grants
The American Philosophical Association (APA) has announced the winners of its Diversity and Inclusiveness Grants and Small Grants. (more…)
New Philosophy Magazine Releases Inaugural Issue
The first issue of The Raven: A Magazine of Philosophy has been published. (more…)
Amsterdam Synagogue Declares Spinoza Scholar “Persona Non Grata” (updated)
Yitzhak Melamed, professor of philosophy at Johns Hopkins University, has been declared a “persona non grata” by a rabbi of the Portuguese Jewish Synagogue of Amsterdam, following a request to record footage at the synagogue for a project on Baruch Spinoza. (more…)
Sanders Foundation Announces New “Philosophy in the Media” Fellows
The Marc Sanders Foundation has announced the inaugural class of fellows in its recently launched “Philosophy in the Media” program. (more…)
New Series on David Lewis from Hi-Phi Nation (guest post)
The newest season of Hi-Phi Nation, the popular philosophy podcast hosted by Barry Lam (Vassar College), is a four-part series on the work and life of philosopher David Lewis. (more…)