August 2009
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Will Lateral Moves Decline in 2010 and 2011?
Looking at the useful lists compiled by Dan Filler, one can see that in each of 2007, 2008, and 2009, there were around 125-130 lateral moves (give or take) each of those years. 2009 was still comparable to earlier years, no doubt because these kinds of hires, especially those with tenure, are often 1-2 years…
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Memorials for G.A. Cohen
MOVING TO FRONT FROM AUGUST 10, since yet more have been added. A rich portrait of the man, and many moving tributes. I've added various updates to the original post, and will continue to add links to memorial notices there as they appear.
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Speaking of plutocracy…
…it's alive and well. And probably plays a role in explaining this too.
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Friday Poem: “Authenticity”
Authenticity From my dining room above the treetops I watch the night expand to swallow the light Aligned in miniature the distant downtown towers Unfold the bravado of man-made brightness Do you ever wonder why you are who you are Furtively though briefly thinking how you came to be Thoughts that call up…
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Life in a Small Philosophy Department
Andrew Mills, a philosopher at Otterbein College, has now created a blog/website with the results of his survey of philosophers working in small departments that we called attention to last year. I imagine that job seekers will also find this information quite valuable.
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The First FAR Distribution Was Yesterday
Over 600 resumes in the pool, fairly typical is my impression for the first distribution, and not the big spike that some had feared (practitioners fleeing a bad legal market were probably offset by those deciding to wait a year or two, given what is sure to be a weak academic job market). There's a…
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Veganism, Again
So our little poll generated quite a lot of interest. Some vegans were delighted to see a poll on this subject (though some correspondents thought it an error to lay the emphasis on diet, rather than on the fact that vegans abstain from all animal products–a fair point, though not necessarily one that would have changed…
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And now for a *really* important question: is there a good Chinese restaurant in Chicago?
Tried The Phoenix in Chinatown: solid B, some dishes B+. Tried Lao Sezchuan, also in Chinatown: a C, if I were feeling generous (maybe our expectations were too high, given the hype). Tried Big Bowl, the 'chain' on the North side: C+, and not exactly Chinese. So what do readers recommend for Chinese in this…
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Annals of Devastating Book Reviews
This one certainly qualifies, so much so that one wonders how the book was ever published by a reputable press. Did they not have any referees?
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Furloughs for University Faculty Come to Georgia
Details here. (Thanks to Thomas Brommage for the pointer.)
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“Yes we can” sustain the plutocracy
That seems to be the fairest conclusion to draw after six months of the Republocrat Administration of Barack Obama. Indeed, the colleague who once told me Obama is more liberal than he was letting on during the campaign, now admits he's a "timid centrist." Of course, it would be OK to be a "centrist" if…
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Today’s funeral for G.A. Cohen
Many readers will appreciate the richly evocative account from Michael Rosen.
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Kant meets international relations…
…in a new blog from Gary Banham (Manchester Metropolitan).
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Chomsky on Libertarianism and Its Meaning
This is a curious interview; here he responds to a question about why he calls himself a "libertarian" given its association with figures like Nozick, Hayek, Rand, and Friedman: Actually, I don't think I've ever called myself a "libertarian," because the term is too ambiguous. I do often call myself a "libertarian socialist," however. The…
I only just learned of Barry’s passing, and I’m enormously saddened at the news. I wrote my PhD on his…