January 2016
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“Roosevelt, Reagan, and the Sanders Moment”
At the Huffington Post; an excerpt: What makes the surging presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont so unusual is that he is the first serious contender since Reagan's election in 1980 who really wants to change the fundamental terms of debate and of politics, to repudiate once and for all the Reagan consensus…
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New books in January
Authors and/or publishers kindly sent me these new books this month: What Can Philosophy Contribute to Ethics? by James Griffin (Oxford University Press, 2016). Diagrammatic Immanence: Category Theory and Philosophy by Rocco Gangle (Edinburgh University Press, 2016). Binary Bullets: The Ethics of Cyberwarfare edited by Fritz Allhoff, Adam Henschke & Bradley Strawser (Oxford University Press,…
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Birkbeck’s Andrew Huddleston interviewed…
…at 3AM. (At my Nietzsche blog, I discuss Huddelston's views about value anti-realism in Nietzsche, and he responds in the comments.)
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Best Anglophone philosophers of language since 1945
MOVING TO FRONT FROM YESTERDAY–MORE DISCUSSION WELCOME With over 300 votes on our latest poll, here's the top 20: 1. Saul Kripke (Condorcet winner: wins contests with all other choices) 2. W.V.O. Quine loses to Saul Kripke by 141–74 3. H. Paul Grice loses to Saul Kripke by 161–51, loses to W.V.O. Quine by 114–88 4. J.L. Austin loses…
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The best late 60s/early 70s rock ‘n’ roll album you’ve never heard of
Universe, 1971. A band from Wales, the album recorded in Norway. If you hold my view (idiosyncratic and indefensible, but nonetheless true) that the best rock 'n' roll was recorded between 1967 and 1973 and, in particular, if you are a fan of Jethro Tull's early Stand Up album, you will dig this.
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The crimes against the people of Flint, Michigan
If these allegations are accurate, the Governor and others should face criminal prosecution.
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Third Summer School in Mathematical Philosophy for Women at Munich
The Summer School is now taking applications! (Link now fixed, they had sent the wrong URL.) (Thanks to Karolina Krzyżanowska for the pointer.)
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What would *real* space aliens be like?
Philosopher Susan Schneider (U Conn) and an astronomer comment.
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Donald Trump’s ranting made much more entertaining…
…when dubbed in different British accents.
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Who are the best Anglophone philosophers of language in the post WWII period?
MOVING TO FRONT FROM JANUARY 27–THE POLL WILL CLOSE LATER TODAY Following a suggestion after the last poll, I've changed the question from "most important" to 'best" (in your judgment). Only Anglophone philosophers; among those who are still living, only those age 50 or older in 2016 are included. Have fun! TWO NOTES: Alas, an…
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Author of controversial Synthese papers responds at length…
…and equally unintelligibly (so much so that it's a bit amusing). Translations welcome! (Earlier coverage.)
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Financial crisis at Finnish universities…
…including massive lay-offs at the University of Helsinki (including some academic staff). More on what's going on in Finland here. (Thanks to Dean Rowan for the pointers.) Comments are open for more links and information from readers about the situation in Finland.
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Greenwald on Krugman
This is funny, but Krugman's rhetoric is pathetic.
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Synthese to put a hold for now on “special issues”…
…in the wake of the latest embarrassment. Longtime readers will recall this isn't the first time a "special issue" led to embarrassment for the journal. Synthese clearly publishes too many pages each year to maintain quality. At least in this case, the editors have not humiliated all the other contributors.
I first met Professor Hoy when I returned to UC Santa Cruz in Fall of ’92 to finish my undergraduate…