September 2016
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“Live Like a Stoic”
That time of year is coming again.
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Best PhD Programs for Philosophy of Biology for 2016-17
Following up on this post, and once again taking account of faculty changes since the fall 2014 PGR, here's an attempted update of the top (3.5 or higher) programs for philosophy of biology for 2016-17, again by rough "clusters" of peer programs: Group 1 (1-2) University of Sydney University of Wisconsin, Madison Group 2 (3-5) Australian National…
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Still more on the irony of the evolution of standpoint epistemology
Following up on last week's post: of course, the first standpoint epistemologist in the contemporary, "inverted" and unMarxian sense was Lukacs who, in the 1920s, proposed that, in fact, the proletariat, in virtue of their class position, had special epistemic access to the pathologies of capitalism. The pedigree of that idea–an unabashed Left Young Hegelian…
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It’s time to take a stand against “ethical [sic] eating”!
Indeed: We need to update the seven deadly sins. Take out gluttony — what’s wrong with the odd bit of gorging? — and replace it with ethical eating. Noble foodies, who refuse to pollute their bodies with what they view as ‘evil’ grub, are far greater irritants than compulsive cake-eaters. Ethical eaters are everywhere. There’s…
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Law school enrollment trends 2010-2015 in one state: Indiana
The Midwest was hit slightly harder by the downturn in applications than other parts of the country, but still this chart shows where we are from the 2010 peak, and also that many schools are recovering a bit. (2010, it is important to remember, was the peak for applications and enrollments.)
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Nationwide outbreak of Dunning-Kruger Disease
Breaking news: “We regret to announce that all 50 states are now reporting several cases of DKD” said CDC epidemiologist Mark Webber. “DKD is characterized as expressing or believing that one has vast and expert knowledge in a subject which they actually do not….” There is currently no known cure for DKD, but scientists are hopeful…
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On an irony about the evolution of “standpoint epistemology”
It was Marx and Marxists who were the inventers of "standpoint epistemology," the idea that one's "social" position–for Marxists, "class," for later writers, race, gender, and so on–exercises an important, sometimes decisive, influence on a person's beliefs. For Marxists, the key thought was that the "standpoint" resulted in distortion of one's knowledge, because it was tainted by the…
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Best PhD Programs for Philosophy of Physics, 2016-17
Following up on this post, and once again taking account of faculty changes since the fall 2014 PGR, here's an attempted update of the top (3.5 or higher) programs for philosophy of physics for 2016-17, again by rough "clusters" of peer programs: Group 1 (1-4) Oxford University University of California, Irvine University of Michigan, Ann Arbor…
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Inside Higher Ed’s descent into the sewer
In the last year, the notorious law gossip website Above the Law eliminated its comment section entirely, since it had become an even more idiotic cesspool than previously. During that same time, the Chronicle of Higher Education, after being quite hands-off with comment moderation, realized that was a disaster, and has started to moderate aggressively to produce substantive…
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Another Northwestern political scientist weighs in on the case of Prof. Stevens
Professor Benjamin Page (whose important work on American plutocracy is briefly described here) has circulated a statement regarding Prof. Stevens and recent events at Northwestern: To: Colleagues at Northwestern and elsewhere From: Benjamin I. Page, Fulcher Professor Concerning: Jacqueline Stevens September 22, 2016 In intellectual terms I have great respect for Jackie. She is…
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In Memoriam: Hans W. Baade (1929-2016)
Obituary here. I had the pleasure of being Professor Baade's colleague at the University of Texas for thirteen years, and learned much from his vast erudition–as well as enjoying his sly wit. (Thanks to Tom Russell for the pointer.)
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Retrocausality and action at a distance
Philosopher Huw Price (Cambridge) and a physicist discuss. (Thanks to Larry Franz for the pointer.)
And the second paragraph?