June 2008
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Philosophers Writing on Wittgenstein: Sympathetic but Critical?
John Hyman (Oxford), in a quite positive review of Michael Forster’s book Wittgenstein on the Arbitrariness of Grammar (Princeton University Press, 2004), makes an observation that is striking for those of us who are not Wittgenstein scholars but occasionally read the literature in that area: after noting that Forster’s book is "lucid, subtle, and intellectual…
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Open Access Philosophy?
You can discuss the issue here.
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Proposed Changes to US News Ranking Methodology…or Fiddling While Rome Burns
Bob Morse of U.S. News reports that the magazine is considering two rather modest changes to its ranking methodology: first, including part-time JD students in its calculation of median GPA and LSAT; and second, using only the bar passage rate for ABA-approved law schools in calculating the relative success of a school’s graduates on the…
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Something Sensible on Iran
Here; an excerpt: Nothing in the modern affairs of nations has been more exhaustively analyzed and debated than the utility and dangers of nuclear weapons, and yet the dangers posed by Iran with a bomb have been barely discussed. They are treated as a given. The core idea is that Iran cannot be trusted because…
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Ralph Nader Was Not a “Spoiler”
A good explanation of the point here by the philosopher David Braybrooke. "Liberal" law professors, who often make this reckless charge, would do well to read this posting.
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Friday Poem: “My Age While I Read Rimbaud”
My Age While I Read Rimbaud I notice I am seventy-five Today this evening I am reminded of this Even while thinking I am twenty Twenty and in love verging on passion Why now do I remember Why now remember which Who I am now Who I was then I am twenty And I remember…
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Discussing John Yoo and Academic Freedom on the Radio
I’ll be on KFPA in Berkeley this morning (9:10 am Central Time, 7:10 am California time, 10:10 am New York time) discussing the John Yoo case (my views here) with Sharon Adams from the National Lawyers Guild. The NLG, for reasons given here, thinks Berkeley should investigate Yoo. I am disappointed the NLG has taken…
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Philosophers with Style…
…in their writing, that is. A reader comments: As a TA, I always emphasize the importance of writing clearly. This isn’t a matter of who I think is right, or even who I enjoy reading because I find their ideas fruitful or interesting; it’s a matter of who writes well. Who would others suggest as…
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Stephen Stich (Rutgers) Wins First Gittler Prize from the APA…
…for contributions to the philosophy of one or more of the social sciences. Professor Stich is certainly a quite appropriate first honoree, who will set the standard for this award, no doubt, in future years.
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Discussing John Yoo and Academic Freedom on the Radio
I’ll be on KFPA in Berkeley this morning (9:10 am Central Time, 7:10 am California time, 10:10 am New York time) discussing the John Yoo case (my views here) with Sharon Adams from the National Lawyers Guild. The NLG, for reasons given here, thinks Berkeley should investigate Yoo. I am disappointed the NLG has taken…
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How *Not* To Improve Your Law School’s Ranking in US News
Amusing story here.
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Tenure Letters: Some Questions
MOVING TO FRONT FROM YESTERDAY, in hopes of generating some more comments! ==================================== A philosopher writes: If your blog has not done so recently, I wonder if you would be willing to start up a discussion about the ethics of writing tenure letters. I would very much like to hear other people’s opinions about this.…
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Thomas Nagel’s Honorary Degree from Oxford…
…or how to say "what is it like to be a bat?" in Latin.
I’ve only just heard this news and am sorry to read it. I was taught as an undergrad and postgrad…