Brian Leiter's Blog, page 1421

Friday Poem: "Good Evening"

Good Evening This will be my last lecture Or one of my last Or one in a series The subject is uncertainty Or what we cannot fathom Or what we'd rather not And each insight changes meaning As does each...

The Neoliberal Paradigm and the Gradual Erosion of "Public" Higher Education

This has been going on for thirty years now, but the current crisis of capitalism is exacerbating the trend.

Dept. of Philosophy & Religion at U of Southern Mississippi Under Attack

I've received word now from a reliable source that the University of Southern Mississippi is eliminating the Religion B.A. and the Philosophy M.A. (though retaining, happily, the philosophy B.A.). More seriously, six out of eleven department members received letters that...

The Rise of For-Profit Colleges

This is a striking article. I realize I am almost wholly in the dark about how these places operate and whether, and how, they teach philosophy, if they do. I would welcome input from readers with knowledge or experience. Since...

Good Open Letter to American Jewish Leaders about the Islamic Community Center in Manhattan...

...and their general hypocrisy about human rights. Addressing such a letter to the disgraceful Abraham Foxman is pointless, of course, but perhaps the others have an actual conscience--in any case, it's a good letter. ADDENDUM: The letter I was sent...

Your ruling class at work

150 years ago, a German philosopher observed that, [T:]he class which is the ruling material force of a society is at the same time its ruling intellectual force. The class which has the means of material production at its disposal,...

The NY Times "Moderates" Comments?

It sure isn't obvious from what they let through in the recent "Room for Debate" about experimental philosophy. Here is "Lew," comment #2, "responding" [sic:] to Ernie Sosa's perfectly sensible remarks (the capital letters are Lew's): YOU SEEM TO HAVE...

Breaking News: The National Research Council Report on Doctoral Programs Circa 2005 Will be Released on September 28, 2010

Per usual, I recommend the comments of Ned Block (NYU).

Prize for Philosophy Blogging

The '3 Quarks Daily' blog is running another contest. Akeel Bilgrami (Columbia) is the judge this year.

"Does your mother know you're on the Internet?" The Case of Robert Ginns

I think I'm going to make this a regular feature, in honor of some of the charming specimens of humanity who show up in my in-box. This one started peacably enough. Mr. Ginns (whoever he is) sent me the following...