Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog

News and views about philosophy, the academic profession, academic freedom, intellectual culture, and other topics. The world’s most popular philosophy blog, since 2003.

  1. Mark's avatar

    I just want to address this comment: > What initially presents itself as impressive intelligence can, upon closer inspection by…

  2. sahpa's avatar

    Hi Dan, Actually, no, that the engine is next-token prediction does not entail that “there is only so much recycling,…

  3. Mark's avatar

    I’m a mathematician who works on AI research, though not specifically on training LLMs. Basically, we really don’t know what’s…

  4. Luis Marxuach's avatar

    My experience with LLMs as a layperson/non-philosopher is that the aforesaid are excellent as spell checkers and translators (and, at…

  5. 永江　守's avatar

    I think we need to separate several different issues here: the future of the university, the future of education, the…

  6. Brian Leiter's avatar
  7. David Wallace's avatar

    Unless we accept dualism, ultimately any creative process comes down to high-level emergent consequences of a very complex system whose…

December 2017

  • What is your opinion of “factory farming”?

    With news that philosophers have recently raised thousands of dollars to end factory farming–this at a time when right-wing authoritarian movements are on the rise throughout the Western democracies and, even closer to home, the Republicans have just enacted a massive tax fraud as a preliminary to an assault on the social welfare state–I wondered…

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  • What tax “reform” in a plutocracy looks like

    This sums it up quite well and methodically.  And, one of the real goals, namely, to justify cuts to social welfare programs, is already rearing its head.   Although Trump hasn't killed us all (yet anyway), he has emboldened the imprudent wing of the ruling class in ways that promise either the ruin of the country…

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  • Five philosophers win NEH Fellowships in most recent competition (UPDATED AND CORRECTED)

    They are:  Paula Gottlieb (Wisconsin/Madison), Etienne Helmer (Puerto Rico/Rio Piedros), Jeremy Hyman (Arkansas/Fayetteville); Eric Mandelbaum (Baruch College/CUNY); and Lydia Moland (Colby).  Four of the five are pursuing historical projects.

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  • Top Philosophy of Physics Programs 2017-18 PGR

    The full results for the 2017-18 Philosophical Gourmet Report, will appear online soon. Here is a preview of the “top ten” for Philosophy of Physics. Philosophy of Physics Group 1 (1-2) (rounded mean of 5.0) (median, mode) Oxford University (5, 5)University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (5, 5) Group 2 (3-6) (rounded mean of 4.5) (median, mode) New York…

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  • In Memoriam: William H. Gass (1924-2017)

    Emeritus in the Philosophy Department at Washington University, St. Louis, where he taught for thirty years, Gass earned his PhD in philosophy at Cornell University, where he studied under Max Black.  He was best-known nationally and internationally for his many award-winning works of fiction.  The Guardian obituary is here. (Thanks to Curtis Franks for calling…

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  • Blast from the past: “Police killings in America: a different perspective”

    Last year, still relevant, given the mindless blather on the subject.   Remember Professor Reed's commentary too.

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  • Jerry Dworkin’s “Philosophy: A Commonplace Book,” volume II…

    …is now available via Amazon.

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  • PGR Overall Rankings: from 2006 to 2017 (REVISED AND CORRECTED)

    The (revised) chart belows shows the movement in the overall rankings over the last decade (from the 2006 Report), to the new 2017 results that Christopher Pynes revised yesterday last week.

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  • There are hardworking people who clean toilets, thank goodness

    Another gem from Robert Paul Wolff, a true man of the old left.   The list of "liberal" academics who treat people doing manual labor as invisible is long.

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  • Someone should have paid more attention in his evidence class

    Matthew Petersen withdraws from further consideration for a federal district judgeship in wake of questioning by Senator Kennedy (R-LA) showing that he didn't know what the Daubert standard was and didn't know what a motion in limine is, among other rather remarkable gaps in his knowledge for someone aspiring to be a trial judge!  (Here's the full questioning…

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  • In Memoriam: Bob Hale (1945-2017)

    MOVING TO FRONT FROM DECEMBER 16–UPDATED A leading contributor to the philosophy of mathematics and metaphysics, he was Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield.  There is an informative memorial notice at 3AM.  I will add links to others as they appear. UPDATE:  Sheffield's memorial notice.  (Thanks to Jimmy Lenman for the pointer.)

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  • Al Kindi on coping with sorrow and loss

    Philosopher and scholar Peter Adamson (Munich & KCL) discusses (many resonances with Stoicism).

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  • 2017-18 PGR U.S. Top 50 Results

    Moving to the front from December 7th with an update and corrections due to a transcription error. Professor Brogaard and I are in the process of cleaning and calculating the results of the PGR survey, the final results of which will be appear at a redesigned PGR site hosted, as before, by Wiley-Blackwell. Since application…

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  • 2017-18 PGR Top 25 Programs in the Anglophone World

    Moving to the front from December 14th with an update and correction due to a transcription error. Professor Brogaard and I released the U.S. Top 50 results of the PRG survey last week. The top 25 programs in the Anglophone word are listed below the fold. Like before the overall mean is listed while the…

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  • Judge Kozinski retires

    Effective today.

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