April 2023
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Petition to “Save the Journal of Political Philosophy”
Here. Sensible demands and concrete proposals. Anyone working in political philosophy/theory and cognate areas (including ethics and philosophy of law) should sign.
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Reader question: DEI litmus tests for appraisal and promotion?
MOVING TO FRONT FROM APRIL 26–MORE COMMENTS WELCOME A reader in the UK writes: The latest trend is academic appraisal and promotion criteria designed to reward DEI enthusiasts and disadvantage those with heterodox views. Several readers have sent me examples from a set of appraisal guidelines under consideration at an unnamed University. The proposed guidelines…
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Dumb and dumber: Twitter on the OUP/Byrne fiasco
Dr. Rebecca Colesworthy, an acquisitions editor (!) at SUNY Press (authors, take note!), thinks a pattern of possible editorial decisions based on an author's controversial viewpoint is not worrisome, but "nonsense"! (She was prompted, it appear, by Alex Bryant's clueless comments on the earlier post [Mr. Bryant, another benighted PhD student, was last seen demanding…
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Fascists appointed to New College of Florida Board of Trustees reject tenure bids of five faculty…
…for no reason at all, except that the Board members are fascists and plan to "remake" the college. I hope the faculty who are victims of this political purge–that's what it is–will sue for violation of their constitutional rights. They are being punished for their actual or perceived "viewpoint" in violation of the First Amendment.…
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North Carolina vs. Alaska
NC Supreme Court says legislators can pick their voters, while Alaska Supreme Court says voters should pick their representatives. So democracy in elections for the House of Representatives is over in North Carolina, but secured in Alaska.
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Is there anyone left at Journal of Political Philosophy?
My original correspondent writes this morning: "Overnight, it seems that nearly all of the board has quit (including me)." Wiley has really done something remarkable, taking the best journal in its subfield (political philosophy) and destroying it. What a tragedy. The only way out, as far as I can see, is for them to restore…
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More on Wiley as a journal publisher
There's a stunning comment on the earlier thread from Professor Anna Stilz, a political philosopher at Princeton who is the EIC of Philosophy & Public Affairs, that deserves wide notice: I am also a member of JPP's Editorial Board who wrote earlier today to resign. But I'd like to share my perspective as well as Editor-in-Chief…
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Crisis at Journal of Political Philosophy: Wiley (the publisher) ousts longtime editor Bob Goodin (MULTIPLE UPDATES–INCLUDING A REPLY FROM WILEY)
MOVING TO FRONT FROM EARLIER TODAY A member of the editorial board writes: Wiley has decided to remove Bob Goodin as Editor as of the end of this year and not replace him with any of the co-editors who were part of the journal's succession plan. Bob notified the editorial board yesterday, and now several…
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Death may be near, but there’s still living to do
Philosopher Paul Woodruff writes about his experience: My death is close at hand…because of a lung condition called bronchiectasis, and I am on oxygen day and night. But I do not think of myself as dying. I am living each day with as much life as I can put into it. For me, that means…
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In Memoriam: William H. Rodgers, Jr. (1939-2023)
Professor Rodgers, a longtime member of the law faculty at the University of Washington in Seattle, was a leading figure in environmental law for decades. The UW memorial notice is here.
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Trinity College’s library will no longer be named after Bishop Berkeley…
…because he owned slaves. Unlike Aristotle, he did not justify slavery, so one might have thought that would count in his favor. More seriously, at the time he owned slaves, it was hardly uncommon for individuals of his class. (Contrast the case of honoring Calhoun!) Will this de-naming make the world a better place? Was…
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Aly Corey, “Associate Director for Inclusive Learning” in the DEI office at Williams College, has apparently resigned from my fan club
Admittedly Dr. Corey must have led an exemplary life if having an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago in music is the most embarrassing thing they have ever done. Good to know "diversity" at Williams is in the hands of such a mature, balanced individual!
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No more “logic” requirement at Yale, instead “formal methods”
Philosophers on Twitter have been abuzz with this news: Yale philosophy has officially replaced the grad program “logic requirement” with a broader “formal methods requirement.” Students can choose which course to take (logic, probability, stats, game theory, etc.) This seems like a sensible move. When philosophy of language dominated Anglophone philosophy, logic seemed more important…
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F.I.R.E. report on attempts to sanction scholars for their speech or work, 2000-2022
Informative, and it shows, sadly, a marked increase in recent years. From the "executive summary": The key findings of this report include:▪ 1,080 scholar sanction attempts occurred between 2000 and 2022.▪ The annual number of attempts has increased dramatically over time, from fourin 2000 to 145 in 2022.▪ Almost two-thirds of attempts resulted in sanction,…
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In Memoriam: Sir Basil Markesinis (1944-2023)
A leading scholar, internationally, of comparative law, Sir Basil taught for many years at Cambridge, Oxford, University College London, and the University of Texas at Austin, where I had the pleasure of being his colleague. Fluent in multiple European languages, he was widely honored for his work in Germany, Italy, France, his native Greece, and…
I respond to this report here https://jasonstanleyantifascist.substack.com/p/on-the-philosophical-muddle-that