June 2025
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Many Trump efforts to make America unlivable are “beneath the radar” as it were
Case in point, via political scientist Adam Bonica: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently unveiled a "Merit Hiring Plan" that, despite its name, signals a profound departure from a cornerstone of American democracy: the non-partisan, merit-based civil service. Under this plan, every federal job applicant from GS-5 positions upward must now write essays explaining…
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Trump Education Department now trying to get Columbia University’s accreditation revoked
One good thing about this preposterous move is it should convince every other university in the country that there is no point to trying to appease the Trumpistas, which Columbia did with its initial capitulation. This got Columbia exactly nothing. Every school take note. Columbia should have gone to court back in March. Now they…
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Summer quasi-hiatus from blogging has begun…
…as readers may have gathered. I'll continue to update the laterals list, and will try to post about important or time-sensitive matters, but don't expect much regular content until August. Good wishes to readers for a productive and enjoyable summer!
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Speaking of Marx, here’s a video of a “book talk” event at UChicago’s Stone Center on Inequality…
…hosted by Professor Steven Durlauf (an economist in the Harris School of Public Policy here), with remarks by myself and Jaime Edwards, and commentary by Professor Durlauf and Professor Geoffrey Wodtke (UChicago Sociology). It was a lot of fun and quite interesting (although I think Professor Wodtke was mistaken about the need for the labor…
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Lederman from Texas to NYU
Harvey Lederman (logic, epistemology, philosophy of language, Chinese philosophy), Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, has accepted a senior offer from the Department of Philosophy at New York University, where he will start in 2026-27. That's a big catch for NYU, and a big loss for Texas (which will very likely…
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Edwards & Leiter’s “Marx” volume now a “bestseller”…
…at least by academic standards; Routledge tells me the book has sold 1500 copies in just eight months! Thank you readers!
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A message to international students and faculty
Philosopher Gregory Fried kindly gave permission to share this very apt message about the lastest Trump stupidity that he sent to students and colleagues; I endorse its sentiments fully! Dear Students, Colleagues, Friends, I am writing to students and colleagues I have taught or worked with this year, plus students at Boston College I believe…
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RFK Jr’s plan to kill us all: bird flu edition
Unbelievable: The Trump administration has delivered its latest blow to vaccines, canceling a nearly $600-million contract to the drugmaker Moderna that was intended to develop a shot for humans against bird flu. The decision also forfeited the U.S. government’s right to purchase doses ahead of a pandemic, and canceled an agreement set up by the…
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Congratluations to the Chicago alumni who made or announced lateral moves this past year (24-25)
They are: *Katharine Baker '89 from Chicago-Kent College of Law/Illinois Institute of Technology to the University of Iowa. *Samuel Bray '05 from the University of Notre Dame to the University of Chicago. *Jason Czarnecki '03 from Pace University to Chicago-Kent College of Law/Illinois Institute of Technology (to become Dean) *James Macleod…
I concur to a certain extent. I also scored very low on the writing section. Back then, GRE was required…