Category Archives: Academia
Why Is Philosophy Important? An Expanded Comment
Daily Nous, the philosophy blog, posted a recent query raising this question in response to an undergraduate who had fallen in love with the subject. Presumably she’d gotten some flak from friends or maybe family. The blog’s editor, Justin Weinberg … Continue reading
“Should I Pursue a Doctorate in Philosophy These Days?”
Should you even consider getting a doctorate and going into academic philosophy today? Even if you find the subject endlessly fascinating, and you have talent for it? The question comes up occasionally on forums. Someone I am “friends” with on … Continue reading
“Anti-Intellectualism and How Fascism Works”: A Comment
I followed the link from here to IHE’s “Anti-Intellectualism and How Fascism Works,” an interview with Jason Stanley (Yale) who has authored a book entitled How Fascism Works. I’d been thinking of posting a comment, but discovered that the comments thread … Continue reading
Philosophers and Social Media: A Comment
Those who read last week’s note will probably say, “Wow, that was a short break!” This is a comment, though, not a stand-alone essay like many of its predecessors. This despite it’s getting longer than I intended. Should philosophers “do” social … Continue reading
Identity Politics Has Nearly Destroyed the Humanities; Now It Is Threatening the Hard Sciences
This article by Heather MacDonald is a must-read! If you thought you could escape identity politics by going into the sciences, or possibly even into engineering, think again. The article’s opening paragraphs spell out clearly what is happening in scientific … Continue reading
Is Higher Education Undergoing a Long-Term Structural Collapse?
Is higher education in the U.S., and almost surely in the West generally, undergoing a long-term structural collapse? The question sounds histrionic, perhaps even hysterical and would be treated as such in many (most?) mainstream academic circles. But if we … Continue reading
