November 2022
-
Who are law school rankings meant to help? (Michael Simkovic)
Approximately 12 law schools, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, have refused to compile data to facilitate the U.S. News rankings. Statements by the deans of the protesting law schools suggest that they hope to pressure U.S. News to modify its ranking system. This raises a fundamental question: What is the purpose of ranking law schools?…
-
Otto Neurath on “scientific management”
This was an aspect of his work with which I was unfamiliar. Comments from those more knowledgeable about the accuracy of this account welcome.
-
It’s official: Cornell is not joining the boycott against USNews.com
The ambiguity of Cornell's initial statement has now been clarified: no boycotting for Cornell.
-
Law schools and USNews.com rankings
Readers will have heard about the revolt (which now seems to be petering out) against the awful USNews.com law school rankings (which involve inexplicable weightings of a dozen different variables, many involving self-reported data of dubious reliability). For those interested, I've been covering it on my law school blog: here, here, here, and here.
-
Blast from the past: Peter Hacker did not like Timothy Williamson’s book
Back in 2009, with discussion.
-
Even if Yale Law may not be #1 in USNews.com rankings much longer…
…it will still #1 for graduates convicted of seditious conspiracy! I would love to see Mr. Rhodes's application file!
-
Were you wondering about the sexual behaviors and orientations of Cambridge University undergraduates?
I wasn't either, but this was still amusing (including the fact that philosophy students had the most sexual partners of any major).
-
Long Covid and the U.S. labor shortage
This is interesting, and not implausible. It's clear we haven't fully reckoned with the health and economic implications of Long Covid symptoms. I commend again to readers philosopher Eric Schliesser's account of his experience. I know another philosopher in his early 60s who more than six months later still can't concentrate enough to do writing. …
-
UC Davis joins boycott of USNews.com ranking
Dean Johnson's statement is here. At this point, the official boycotters are: Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, Berkeley, Michigan, Georgetown, Duke, Northwestern, UCLA, UC Irvine, and UC Davis. Chicago has declined to join the boycott, and Cornell's status is ambiguous. No word yet from NYU, Virginia, Penn, Texas, Vanderbilt, Southern California et al. Unless there is…
-
New transcriptions of lectures by Hegel (at Heidelberg) found
The scholar who found them thinks it is hugely important, perhaps unsurprisingly, but the linked account doesn't really give any details that would enable one to judge. It is several thousand pages worth, including of Hegel's lectures on aesthetics. So probably there are interesting items there. Comments are open for readers who may know more…
-
“Open letter” by faculty in the College of Science and Mathematics at U Mass/Boston opposing a new mission statement…
…that eviscerates the actual purpose of the university as a place where knowledge is generated and disseminated. (Earlier coverage here, here, and here.)
-
Shapiro from Simon Fraser to McGill
I had missed this (it was effective last month): Lisa Shapiro (feminist philosophy, early modern philosophy), previously Professor of Philosophy at Simon Fraser University, has become Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Professor of Philosophy at McGill University.
-
Blast from the past: “The tragedy of student suicide”
Back in 2018, with reader discussion.
Georgy Maksimovich pointed me to this article in Russian: https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2026/05/25/antisovetskie-filosofskie-kontratseptsii