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A group of bloggers discussing philosophical ideas as well as the profession of philosophy
Browsing All Posts filed under »In the News«
Congratulations to our Founding Editor: Dr. Justin Caouette
Bridgewater State University recently published a profile of our very own Dr. Justin Caouette outlining what many people close to him already know: Justin is currently making a difference in the lives of students attending BSU. Many of us (myself included) who are first generation college students–students with neither parent having attended college–are often faced […]
Form-Over-Content Morality: Denying Service
June 26, 2018 by James DiGiovanna
Charges of hypocrisy are popular in the current political landscape, and hypocrisy is certainly a vice, if a minor one. But much of what’s going on in these charges is an emphasis on form over content. To say any action is immoral requires an understanding of what it is in reaction to. Spitting in my […]
Powerful Medicine; a dimension of the Nassar case
January 27, 2018 by Joshua Stein
I want to start this post with a really clear content notice; if you’re uncomfortable with or likely to be triggered by descriptions of sexual assault, you may want to gird yourself or take a pass on this post entirely. I experienced nausea myself in reading the accounts, but I don’t think it is really […]
Failures in teaching, discipline
November 21, 2017 by Joshua Stein
A few notes before I get into the nitty gritty of this issue: I’m a graduate student at the University of Calgary, a member of the university’s Graduate Student Association (our union), and the president of the philosophy department’s affiliated Graduate Student Association chapter. Nothing I say in this post is made in those roles; […]
A History Lesson Every American Should Know
August 28, 2017 by Justin Caouette
***The following post was authored by a professor of philosophy in North America that wishes to remain anonymous. They say that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Well, I have studied history books, and here’s a history lesson. Several decades ago, a boorish man with no morals came to hold […]
The Politics of Crybabyism
November 29, 2016 by James DiGiovanna
Perhaps Donald Trump’s most salient psychological characteristic is his tendency to complain loudly and publicly if he does not get his way: that is, his tendency to be a crybaby. So why, then, is he so popular with his supporters? Weren’t they the ones who hated the culture of offense, the sensitiveness that was forcing […]
There’s no water in Flint
November 28, 2016 by Joshua Stein
Comments Off on There’s no water in Flint
The most banal example philosophers use in discussing conceptual analysis is water; from Putnam’s twin earth papers to Kaplan’s two-dimensionalism, this is the classic example that is supposed to illustrate something valuable about the way that concepts work. I won’t delve too much into the traditional analyses, here, though a familiar observer may note this […]
Direct Democracy
November 21, 2016 by Aaron Thomas-Bolduc
I was visiting friends in northern California during the US election, and although I have thoughts and opinions about Trump, US politics and the electoral college, I’m going to put those issues aside. Instead I would like to share my experience with the ballot propositions in California (I’m from NY, so I have little experience […]
America: on Existentialism and Obligation
November 9, 2016 by Joshua Stein
This is not meant as a rhetorical exercise; it is a genuine issue I’m wrestling with re: my own academic future. As such, please keep comments respectful and relevant. Content notice for discussion of the repugnant positions of the United States’s President and Vice President elect. In October of 1992, on a stage in Georgia, […]
Kinds and Classification: Why the Gun Control and Canine Profiling Analogy Breaks Down
October 14, 2016 by Alison K McConwell
Though this post is partly in response to comments on my previous post concerning breed specific legislation from Mike Steiner, a fellow APT contributor, this is now, in effect, also a response to Yvevs Boisvert’s post for the Globe and Mail. Now is a timely moment to discuss the analogy between pit bulls and guns […]
Free Speech and Safe Space
September 22, 2016 by Joshua Stein
I’ve debated for a little while about whether or not to write about the ongoing cultural discussion on “free speech” and “safe space” protections on campuses. Of course, this seems a large and timely topic, given the presence of the University of Chicago letter. (I will come to the Chicago letter a bit late in […]
On Breed Specific Legislation, Public Safety, and Why The Research Matters
July 16, 2016 by Alison K McConwell
There is recent nation-wide attention to animal control issues concerning dogs in Canada. The target is “pit bulls” or dogs with traits that resemble particular characteristics of breeds included in this generic term. One common response to serious dog bites and maulings is to lobby for a ban of particular breeds by enacting Breed Specific […]
The Art of Presentations
June 13, 2016 by Alison K McConwell
Pat Kelly from the CBC gives an hilariously accurate account of qualities that comprise successful presentations. The catch line is: “Thought Leader gives a talk that will inspire your thoughts.” Watch the video here. “Let’s look at the picture of the planet for no reason.” I take it that the definition of ‘success’ here simply […]
Aristotelian Rape Training: Pornography and Rape Culture
April 8, 2016 by Gordon Hawkes
Someone asked me the other day what I thought about the Jian Ghomeshi case. Jian Ghomeshi, if you aren’t familiar, is a Canadian radio personality who was charged with sexually assaulting women. His accusers described him suddenly turning violent, yanking their hair, slapping them. What was not in dispute in the case was that Ghomeshi […]
Books by Contributors
A Philosopher's Take 
October 2, 2018 by Alison K McConwell
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