-
Pittsburgh’s Nicholas Rescher receives 2016 Helmholtz Medal from the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
The announcement is not yet on their webpage, but Prof. Rescher kindly shared the news of this latest recognition for his long and distinguished philosophical career. Past winners include Chomsky and Habermas.
-
Was Lincoln a morally good man?
An interesting review of a recent book by philosopher Thomas Carson (Loyola/Chicago), to which Prof. Carson briefly replies here.
-
Another amusing and rambling rant about the 2016 election…
…from philosopher Andrew Levine (who really needs an editor, but be patient, there are a few gems in there).
-
Photos from the Vietnam War, 1965-1975…
…taken by the North. It's indicative of the depth of ideological delusion in the United States that to this day no one in the mainstream public discussion refers to the U.S. invasion of South Vietnam, or refers to the war as an atrocity–instead, it was a "mistake" or "ill-advised."
-
U Mass’s Antony to be 2016-17 “Sanders Lecturer” at Pacific APA
The APA press release is here.
-
Robert Paul Wolff’s 5th Lecture on “Ideological Critique”…
…is now available.
-
A visual “Turing test”
Amusing. (Thanks to Michael Swanson for the pointer.)
-
What’s next in the American political circus: New Hampshire and thereafter
The New Hampshire primary is tomorrow [ed.–day after tomorrow! Feb. 9], and unlike Iowa, it's a regular primary: no meeting in groups to caucus and schmooze with your fellow citizens before choosing a candidate. You just go and vote. This will favor Trump, whose ground-level organization has been fairly poor everywhere. Of course, Trump is…
-
More polling fun: who are the best Anglophone scholars of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of the post-WWII era?
The poll is here. I've tried to include anyone who might have a shot at the top 20 or thereabouts. For those scholars still alive, I used the age of 60 (in 2016) as the cut-off. As always, have fun! UPDATE: The first two omissions spotted: G.E.R. Lloyd and Robin Smith. (Thanks to Kelvin Yang…
-
Philosopher Susan Wolf featured in today’s David Brooks column at the NY Times
And he gives a decent, journalistic take on some of her ideas.
-
Alexandra Schwartz needs a brain transplant…
…before she writes again.
-
Philosophical ethics, “effective altruism,” Bernard Williams, Oxford
I'm grateful to Jonny Thakkar for calling my attention to this nicely written essay by a recent Oxford DPhil. It includes some funny remarks about the "effective [sic] altruist" Church, though is perhaps too uncritical in the end about Williams, whose no doubt genuine interest in Nietzsche never translated into very much courage in criticism of morality. But…
-
Subscribe to a “feed” for this blog
It's evidence of how little I know about blogs that I didn't realize there wasn't an option for subscribing to a "feed" for this blog. Now there is here. You can also get to it via the link, "Subscribe in a reader" in the left hand column, below all the ads and links.
-
A look at the political science job market…
…at IHE. It would be great if the APA could do a similar analysis of what's been going on in the philosophy job market.
-
NYU’s Longuenesse to give 2017 Kant Lecture…
…at the Eastern APA.
-
“The Clinton System,” or how the prudent wing of the plutocracy works the political and financial systems
Illuminating, and, as philosopher Bill Edmundson (Georgia State) who sent it to me, quipped, a good "antidote to Krugman's hackery."
-
“Asymmetrical Luck”
A nicely written piece by philosopher V. Alan White–do take a look.
-
Petition in support of jailed Turkish philosophy student
Here. Please do sign! This is really ghastly behavior by the Turkish government, which warrants international condemnation. (Thanks to Robert Hockett for the pointer.)
-
American political circus: Iowa caucus edition
You heard it here first (way back in December!): Ted Cruz, the far right religious conservative from Texas, has won Iowa with about 27% of the vote. Even more notable is Trump's weak 2nd place showing, barely defeating Senator Marco Rubio of Florida (about 24% to 22%–no polls had predicted such a strong showing for…
-
Memorial conference for Bernd Magnus coming up in less than two weeks at UC Riverside
Click on "Flyer" here for more details. (Thanks to Maude Clark for the pointer.)
-
A nice illustration of how skewed to the right the American political spectrum is
Here. Sanders, who would be an ordinary social democrat anywhere else in the civilized world, is the outlier in America. As someone recently noted, Ronald Reagan is still President in the U.S.
-
Robert Paul Wolff on ideological critique: Lectures 3 and 4
MOVING TO FRONT FROM FRIDAY, FOR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE MISSED IT Here and here.
-
JHP Article Prize for 2015
Philosopher Jack Zupko (Alberta), Editor of the Journal of the History of Philosophy, kindly shares the following news: The Board of Directors of the Journal of the History of Philosophy has awarded the prize for the best article to appear in volume 53 (2015) of the JHP to Therese Scarpelli Cory for “Rethinking Abstractionism: Aquinas’s Intellectual Light…
-
As putative “liberals” attack Bernie Sanders’s single-payer health plan…
…this is a useful counterweight to some of the attacks.
-
“Roosevelt, Reagan, and the Sanders Moment”
At the Huffington Post; an excerpt: What makes the surging presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont so unusual is that he is the first serious contender since Reagan's election in 1980 who really wants to change the fundamental terms of debate and of politics, to repudiate once and for all the Reagan consensus…
-
New books in January
Authors and/or publishers kindly sent me these new books this month: What Can Philosophy Contribute to Ethics? by James Griffin (Oxford University Press, 2016). Diagrammatic Immanence: Category Theory and Philosophy by Rocco Gangle (Edinburgh University Press, 2016). Binary Bullets: The Ethics of Cyberwarfare edited by Fritz Allhoff, Adam Henschke & Bradley Strawser (Oxford University Press,…
-
Birkbeck’s Andrew Huddleston interviewed…
…at 3AM. (At my Nietzsche blog, I discuss Huddelston's views about value anti-realism in Nietzsche, and he responds in the comments.)
-
The best late 60s/early 70s rock ‘n’ roll album you’ve never heard of
Universe, 1971. A band from Wales, the album recorded in Norway. If you hold my view (idiosyncratic and indefensible, but nonetheless true) that the best rock 'n' roll was recorded between 1967 and 1973 and, in particular, if you are a fan of Jethro Tull's early Stand Up album, you will dig this.
-
The crimes against the people of Flint, Michigan
If these allegations are accurate, the Governor and others should face criminal prosecution.
-
Third Summer School in Mathematical Philosophy for Women at Munich
The Summer School is now taking applications! (Link now fixed, they had sent the wrong URL.) (Thanks to Karolina Krzyżanowska for the pointer.)
-
What would *real* space aliens be like?
Philosopher Susan Schneider (U Conn) and an astronomer comment.
-
Donald Trump’s ranting made much more entertaining…
…when dubbed in different British accents.
-
Who are the best Anglophone philosophers of language in the post WWII period?
MOVING TO FRONT FROM JANUARY 27–THE POLL WILL CLOSE LATER TODAY Following a suggestion after the last poll, I've changed the question from "most important" to 'best" (in your judgment). Only Anglophone philosophers; among those who are still living, only those age 50 or older in 2016 are included. Have fun! TWO NOTES: Alas, an…
-
Greenwald on Krugman
This is funny, but Krugman's rhetoric is pathetic.
-
Synthese to put a hold for now on “special issues”…
…in the wake of the latest embarrassment. Longtime readers will recall this isn't the first time a "special issue" led to embarrassment for the journal. Synthese clearly publishes too many pages each year to maintain quality. At least in this case, the editors have not humiliated all the other contributors.
-
From bad to worse in Turkey
A philosophy professor will be put on trial. Note that under Turkish law, insulting the President is an actionable offense. It is the law, and not necessarily its application in this instance, that is rotten. UPDATE: A philosopher in Turkey writes: "I think it might be worth pointing out that Orsan is an important part of Turkish…
-
Philippa Foot once wondered whether anyone knew what a “reason for acting” was…
…but as philosopher Samuel Asarnow (Macalester) notes, pop songwriters seem to!
-
On slippery slopes
A sensible statement by the chair of Amherst College's Board of Trustees, in the wake of the decision to rename the school's controversial mascot: A statement issued by Cullen Murphy, chair of the college's board, said that while the college would prefer that people not use the Lord Jeff nickname or mascot, the college will…
Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog
News and views about philosophy, the academic profession, academic freedom, intellectual culture, and other topics. The world’s most popular philosophy blog, since 2003.
Nietzsche’s Ecce homo, Notebooks and Letters: 1888-1889. Translation by Daniel Fidel Ferrer. ©2023 Daniel Fidel Ferrer. All rights reserved. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs…
I only just learned of Barry’s passing, and I’m enormously saddened at the news. I wrote my PhD on his…
I am reading 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 with mixed feelings. It is, in various ways, moderate and careful, and it certainly…
I respond to this report here https://jasonstanleyantifascist.substack.com/p/on-the-philosophical-muddle-that
For what it’s worth, I agree. I have, with some trepidation, given it a bunch of my papers and asked…
Looking at some of the AI-amplified cranks on philpeople, it is hard to agree with the assessment of this article.…
Free Robot Labour: Marx, Automation, and the Future of AI by Jamie Terence Kelly https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-26782-5 Palgrave Macmillan, 2026 Permanently Open…