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Scott Walker, union buster and…
…now anti-gay bigot. What happened to Wisconsin that they re-elected this guy? Any Wisconsinites have an explanation?
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Prospect UK’s annual “World Thinkers” poll
It includes, as always, a few philosophers and political theorists (this year: David Chalmers, John Gray, Jurgen Habermas), plus one of my personal favorites, Evgeny Morozov, who always cuts through all the self-serving bullshit about the Internet and technology.
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UNC Law Professor Gene Nichol responds to the attack on the University’s Poverty Center
Good for him. But the fact is that we should expect to see more punitive actions like this from state legislatures controlled by the Repugs.
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This Atlantic essay on ISIS…
…has been making the rounds, and is a gripping read. It confirms, once again, the wisdom of RAWA: fundamentalism is the mortal enemy of all civilized humanity.
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In Memoriam: Keith Donnellan (1931-2015)
A leading figure in 20th-century philosophy of language, Professor Donnellan was Emeritus at UCLA at the time of his death. He earned his PhD at Cornell, where he taught for a number of years before moving to Los Angeles. I will post links to memorial notices when they appear.
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Descriptive cultural moral relativism and Chinese philosophy
Interesting discussion by Schwitzgebel.
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Powerful statement by one of just two African-American federal judges in Mississippi…
…upon sentencing three white men convicted of a racially motivated murder.
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Reader poll #6: What is your native language?
The choices were offered partly with an eye to what I know about the countries of readership. <div><a href="http://www.micropoll.com/a/mpview/1075246-4827200">Click Here for Poll</a><BR><a href="http://www.questionpro.com" title="online survey">Online Survey</a><BR><a href="http://www.micropoll.com" title="Polls">Polls</a></a><BR><a href="http://www.micropoll.com/a/MicroPoll?mode=html&id=4827200">View MicroPoll</A></div> QuestionPro
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Reader poll #5: the results for political ideology/outlook
So with not quite 1400 votes, here are the results: Which best describes your political ideology or outlook? Marxian left 13%181 Social democratic left 40%560 American liberal 12%168 American moderate Democrat 7%91 American Republican 1%10 Burkean conservative 4%59 Social/religious conservative 3%43 Libertarian 7%100 Fascist/Authoritarian Right 3%39…
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Oliver Sacks, David Hume, and facing death
Worth reading.
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Political retribution against UNC-Chapel Hill…
…against outspoken law professor (though see the very good statement by the Law Dean towards the end of the article). This is really appalling. The only silver lining is that I guess they concluded they couldn't get away with firing him outright.
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“Jewish Poker” Philosophy, once again?
Philosopher Matt Silverstein (NYU-Abu Dhabi) calls my attention to this gem (which recalls an earlier discussion); an excerpt: [I]f you are looking for a traditional understanding of modernism and of Deleuze and Guattari, you are bound to be greatly disappointed, because the idea of understanding as a stable and unified meaning is challenged and usurped…
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$2.9 million from Templeton to the “Center for Freedom” at the University of Arizona…
…directed by the political philosopher David Schmidtz. (Thanks to Michael Swanson for the pointer.)
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Global Justice Network
The website. (Thanks to Julian Culp for the pointer.)
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ASU professor targeted by right-wing slime-and-smear machine now threatened by Klan and NeoNazis
What a wonderful country. (Thanks to Robert McGarvey for the pointer.)
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Martin Luther King, Jr., Hegel, and Kierkegaard
Interesting, though I can't vouch for the accuracy of this account, though it seems plausible. (Thanks to Shane Wahl for the pointer.) UPDATE: More on King and Kant. (Thanks to Mark Couch for this reference.)
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More on philosophy and Notre Dame’s “core curriculum”…
…at The Washington Post. (Thanks to Michael Swanson for the pointer.)
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More embarrassing stupidity from Oklahoma politicans
First this, now this.
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More on Illinois’s Disgraceful New Governor
Here. (Thanks to Prabhu Venkataraman for the pointer.)
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Another law faculty issues an open letter expressing doubts about procedures for handling sexual wrongdoing cases on campus
This time it's the University of Pennsylvania law faculty. (Thanks to Michael Weisberg for the pointer.)
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Greek finance minister invokes Kant
Interesting. (Thanks to Panagiotis Kanellis for the pointer.)
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Salaita’s Freedom of Information suit against U of Illionis to go forward
This is separate from his primary lawsuit for his illegal firing, but if successful this lawsuit will prove illuminating, I expect, about what went on "behind the scenes." (Thanks to Jeffrey Roland for the pointer.)
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Pedigree matters, and prospective students are entitled to know
Various blogs have been remarking on this study about faculty hiring networks and hierarchies: the short version is that very few graduates of PhD programs place at higher ranked programs, and most research-oriented tenure-track jobs are secured by graduates of a small number of elite PhD programs. The same, of course, is true in philosophy,…
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Reader poll #3: your income
MOVING TO FRONT (POLL ORIGINALLY POSTED FEBRUARY 7) AND OPENING COMMENTS FOR DISCUSSION (AT REQUEST OF VARIOUS READERS) Report only your income from all sources (stipends, teaching, royalties, investments, etc.); if you have no income of your own (e.g., because you are supported by parents or a spouse) then choose the first option. &amp;lt;div&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a…
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More philosophers on love…
…this time Toronto's Ronald DeSousa. (Thanks to Robert McGarvey for the pointer.)
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Spiros: Philosophy needs to be saved…
…from the "idiots who run the rest of the Humanities."
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Brown’s Summer Immersion Program for underrepresented groups
Nick Alvarez calls my attention to Brown's program: The Brown Philosophy Department is pleased to announce a call for applications for the Summer Immersion Program in Philosophy at Brown University. SIPP@Brown is a two-week residential program for members of traditionally underrepresented groups in philosophy, including women and students of color. This year's program will run from…
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Reader poll #5: what is your political ideology/outlook
<div><a href="http://www.micropoll.com/a/mpview/1075246-4826963">Click Here for Poll</a><BR><a href="http://www.questionpro.com" title="online survey">Online Survey</a><BR><a href="http://www.micropoll.com" title="Polls">Polls</a></a><BR><a href="http://www.micropoll.com/a/MicroPoll?mode=html&id=4826963">View MicroPoll</A></div> QuestionPro
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Miami’s Berit Brogaard dispels more illusions about love…
…in Time Magazine.
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Reader poll #4: your religious identity
MOVING TO FRONT FROM FEBRUARY 10–RESULTS BELOW Choose the category below that best fits your religion (or non-religious) beliefs/commitments: (UPDATE: I made an error below for the Muslim choices: "Shia Muslin" should have been "Sunni Muslim." If you identify as a Shiite Muslim, choose that one, and if you identify as a Sunni Muslim please…
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Latest in Republican stupidity: no need to fund education…
…since Socrates taught Plato "on a rock." As the philosopher John Armstrong (Southern Virginia), an actual ancient philosophy scholar, notes in the first comment: "Plato observed Socrates in the public square. Aristotle studied at Plato's estate. Both had wealth that freed them to pursue their inquiries full time."
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On the importance of Castaneda
William Rapaport (Buffalo) writes: We were disappointed that Brian Leiter's survey of "Most Important Anglophone philosophers, 1945-2000: the top 20" omitted Hector-Neri Castaneda (1924-1991). At Leiter's invitation, we submit the following observations on his significance. Castaneda was Guatemalan by birth and early education. However, his philosophical training at Minnesota and Oxford, his professional affiliations at…
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Philosophy belongs in the “core curriculum”
A Notre Dame undergraduate makes the case. (Thanks to Michael Swanson for the pointer.)
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Open thread on issues in the profession for the week of February 16, 2015
Submit your comment only once, I will approve comments at various intervals during the day.
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UVA’s Brie Gertler at…
…The Brains Blog.
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Sorry for the dearth of postings here…
…I am just returned from talks at Pomona and UC Riverside in lovely Southern California. I am catching up on e-mail, and will get back to those who wrote over the next couple of days. At Pomona, I was especially impressed that so many undergraduates (from the various Claremont colleges) came to the talk on a late Friday…
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Badiou interviewed about “Philosophy for Militants”
This is curious. (Thanks to Phil Gasper for the pointer.)
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A topic for social epistemology: how to get people to believe what…
…most scientists believe about matters that demand scientific knowledge. (Thanks to Michael B. for the pointer.)
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Let me recommend Eleanor Knox’s essay on IAI a few months ago for what I think is a much more…
There are many places in the essay where I would get off the argumentative train, but here’s perhaps the first.…
Totally agreed Colin.
Thanks so much for this, Matthew. I hadn’t heard about UKALPP’s approach, but it sounds like an excellent model for…
Thanks to Colin Marshall for an excellent document. The annual UK Analytic Legal & Political Philosophy (UKALPP) Conference now convenes…
Thanks for this comment, Alan. I think the point you make carries weight – especially for some younger philosophers, in-person…
I think the extremely weird-sounding announced thesis of this piece arises from making a specific decision about how to use…