May 2021
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Judge at center of U of Toronto hiring scandal found by Judicial Council to have made a “serior error;” judge expresses “remorse”
(Earlier coverage.) From the public announcement: The Review Panel did find…that it was an error for Justice Spiro to raise such concerns [about the faculty candidate] in the manner he did. The judge properly recognized the mistakes he made and expressed remorse. The Review Panel found this error serious but that it did not warrant…
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APA announces Spring 2021 prizes…
…including the Barwise Prize, the Dewey Lecturers, the Romanell Lecture, and others.
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Linguistics with cats
This is amusing. (Thanks to David Lobina for the pointer.)
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Anya Plutynski (Wash U/St. Louis) wins 2021 Lakatos Award in philosophy of science
The LSE announcement is here.
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The class composition of the student body at Yale Law School…
MOVING TO FRONT FROM MAY 19–AFTER I POSTED THIS ORIGINALLY, YALE REMOVED THE REPORT; A YALE LAW STUDENT KINDLY SUPPLIED AN ALTERNATIVE LINK FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO READ THE REPORT …and the effect of class background on the student experience. As the report notes near the start, during the 2018-19 academic year, "Students called…
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Blast from the past: “TheTwitter cesspool”
Back in 2018. Still a cesspool, of course, though more bearable now that I don't engage with the rabble!
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Academic freedom is dead at the University of North Carolina
Right-wing political pressure blocked a tenured appointment in journalism at the University of North Carolina, which is as clear a violation of the autonomy and academic freedom of a department as one can imagine. Every member of the journalism faculty, who can, should resign and go elsewhere. If the legislature were not under the control…
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In Memoriam: Christopher Stone (1937-2021)
A longtime member of the law faculty at the University of Southern California, Professor Stone was probably best-known for his contributions to environmental law. The USC memorial notice is here. (Thanks to Scott Altman for the pointer.)
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Does OUP have a “prestige monopoly” in Anglophone philosophy?
Robert Pasnau (Colorado) suggests it does, and considers the possible costs. While OUP publishes many excellent books in philosophy, it's primary monopoly is in volume: with 200 new books per year, OUP publishes as much as just about all the other leading presses combined.
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How to include transgender athletes in competitive sports
A proposal from philosopher Chris Suprenant (New Orleans).
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Somewhat lighter blogging…
…as readers may have noticed. It's the last week of the quarter here, and I've got papers to grade for graduating students, letters of recommendation to write, and lots of student appointments. Things will start to pick up next week. Thanks for your patience.
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Blast from the past: punitiveness, justice, and proportionality
Back in 2014. Or as Nietzsche says: "Mistrust all in whom the drive to punish is powerful. They are people of a bad kind and stock; the hangman and the bloodhound look out of their faces. Mistrust all who talk much of their justice! Verily, their souls lack more than honey. And when they call…
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“Review of Analytic Philosophy”
A new journal out of Japan, but with a number of Anglophone philosophers involved as well.
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The use-mention distinction and the N-word
Philosopher Gerald Dworkin comments.
It would be a shame if bad philosophy of mind got us all killed. AI can absolutely have desires and…