February 2022
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Our Silicon Valley overlords operate in mysterious ways
Facebook has decided it is now OK to discuss, indeed praise, a NeoNazi Ukrainian militia that is now fighting the Russians, whereas before users could not mention them.
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AFA letter to Concordia U in Wisconsin over possible sanction of philosophy professor…
…for criticizing the university.
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Major violation of academic freedom at the University of Washington
A major donor to the University of Washington has withdrawn an endowment supporting a chair and program in Israel studies because the current holder criticized Israel! Some details: The University of Washington has put its five-year-old Israel Studies Program on hold after a major donor, angry about a professor’s criticism of Israel, took her money…
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“Anglophone Analytic Legal Philosophy”
This paper might be of interest to some readers; the abstract: This essay examines Anglophone analytic legal philosophy in comparison to Professor Aldo Schiavello's account of Italian (and also, more broadly, non-Anglophone) analytic legal philosophy (in the same volume). The focus, in particular, is on legal positivism in H.L.A. Hart, Norberto Bobbio, and Alf Ross,…
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Philosophy Department at SUNY Potsdam under threat
MOVING TO FRONT FROM FRIDAY, FEB. 25–PLEASE SIGN IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY Philosophers David Curry and Tim Murphy, both tenured faculty at the Potsdam campus of the State University of New York system, write: We have been informed by upper administration, in the Academic Affairs Realignment Report they shared with Faculty Senate on February 17th,…
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“Anglophone Analytic Legal Philosophy”
This paper might be of interest to some readers; the abstract: This essay examines Anglophone analytic legal philosophy in comparison to Professor Aldo Schiavello's account of Italian (and also, more broadly, non-Anglophone) analytic legal philosophy (in the same volume). The focus, in particular, is on legal positivism in H.L.A. Hart, Norberto Bobbio, and Alf Ross,…
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Great moments in obscure rock ‘n’ roll: Ancient Grease, “Freedom Train,” 1970
We haven't featured this Welsh hard (or "heavy" as is sometimes said) blues rock band since 2020, but here's another number from their one and only album:
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Recalling the McCarthy Era attacks on academic freedom and the First Amendment
Philosopher Benjamin Mitchell-Yellin (Sam Houston State) recalls his grandfather's experience, which recent developments in Texas make worth remembering.
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Blast from the past: 20 “Most Important” philosophers of all time
A poll back in 2009, with comments from readers. This post still gets visits almost every day!
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U.S. Free Speech Union on events at the University of Florida
Here, including a discussion of the devastating federal court opinion. We saw this pattern in the Title IX context too: judges are generally mystified by what passes for "process" at universities!
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As always, war means death
This Ukrainian news source is keeping track of the horrors.
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“The return of metaphysics”
Philosophers Patricia Churchlanad (UC San Diego) and Galen Strawson (Texas/Austin) discuss at IAITV (also in the discussion, alas, is Hilary Lawson, the owner of IAITV–but one can skip past that if one wants).
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More on U Mass/Boston’s proposed “mission statement”
Philosopher Steven Levine (U Mass/Boston) comments on Twitter on the proposal we noted previously: The first line of my University's proposed mission is "to becoming an anti-racist and health-promoting institution." Not as side effects of our mission to pursue research and teach students, but as the mission itself. The mission also involves the fact that…
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The ugliness that awaits with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine
Unfortunately, this evocative short essay is probably correct. (Thanks to Katalin Balog for the pointer.)
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Law professors on academic freedom
Paul Butler and David Cole (both Georgetown) disagree about its application, while Anita Allen (Penn) rejects the AAUP understanding. My own views here: Download Why Academic Freedom PDF published version
David J. Gunkel «Person, Thing, Robot: A Moral and Legal Ontology for the 21st Century and Beyond» (MIT, 2023) Link:…