Dialogues with Crispin on the Prolegomena: Vol. 3
The third of my ongoing series of discussions with Crispin Sartwell on my Prolegomena for a Pluralist Metaphysics.
Prolegomena for a Pluralist Metaphysics: Philosophy, Science, and “Common Sense”
by Daniel A. Kaufman ___ As these prolegomena begin to wind down, I want to step back and speak a bit more generally about the conception of philosophy – and of inquiry more generally — from which they spring. Sellars, of course, in the opening paragraphs of “Philosophy and the Scientific Image of Man,” gave his own account of what […]
Summer of 2020
by Daniel A. Kaufman ___ I cannot recall a time which sent my mind swimming like this one. Nor can I remember a series of events that have provoked such strong thoughts and feelings as those I have been experiencing of late. Indeed, I cannot recall a summer this tense since the notorious Summer of 1977 – the “Summer of […]
Morality and the Social World: Objectivity, Realism, and Normativity
by Jared Yarsevich ___ Moral realism occupies a precarious position in contemporary philosophy. It carries the notable distinction of drawing the opprobrium of both hard-nose naturalists and libertine relativists. Uniting erstwhile enemies such as these is quite the feat and is undoubtedly symptomatic of deep conceptual flaws. But then again, maybe the multi-front assaults indicate an inner strength that merits […]
Prolegomena for a Pluralist Metaphysics: Explanatory Disunity
by Daniel A. Kaufman ___ As readers know, I have been running a series of conversations with Crispin Sartwell, as an accompaniment to these prolegomena. I asked Crispin to do this with me for two reasons: First, he is the only person within my circle capable of addressing the many and diverse subject areas across which the prolegomena reach; and […]
More Thoughts on Knowledge and Higher Education
by Mark English Last month I wrote a short piece on what I see as a rapidly developing crisis in the education sector and beyond. Open-ended and exploratory, my observations were part of an ongoing attempt to articulate and defend a basically knowledge-centred view of learning and culture. I referred briefly to the arts, but not specifically to arts education. […]
Probability, Creeps, and Accusations: On Kate Manne on Tara Reade
Joshua Mozersky ____ Let me begin with a model. Suppose that there are 1000 men in the country and that 200 of them have committed ‘minor crimes’, things like shoplifting or turnstile jumping. Next, suppose that 20 of the 1000 have committed ‘major crimes’: murder, kidnapping, assault. While not everyone who commits a major crime also commits a minor crime, […]
Philosophy’s Woke Follies
by Daniel A. Kaufman ___ These days of pandemic, police brutality, mass protests, looting and rioting are disconcerting. They confront our beliefs; our values; our sense of who we are as a society and as a people. Many of us are looking for guidance; a sense of moral clarity in these morally uncertain times. We should thank our lucky stars, […]
Discussions with Crispin on the Prolegomena: Vol. 2
The second of my ongoing series of discussions with Crispin Sartwell on my Prolegomena for a Pluralist Metaphysics.
On Sex and Gender Identity: Perspectives from Biology, Neuroscience and Philosophy
by Laeti Harris, Louise Moody, and Pam Thompson ____ Introduction This essay will explore the material qualities and political significance of the sexed human body, which has evolved in the service of sexual reproduction, although is not limited to that purpose. Our exploration is motivated by the relatively recent emergence in western cultures of campaigns to replace the position of […]
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