Marcus Arvan
@marcusarvan.bsky.social
📤 344
📥 82
📝 102
Philosopher
Excited to see this great review of “Why It’s OK to be a Moderate” forthcoming in Journal of Moral Philosophy:
philarchive.org/rec/VANWIO
Kyle van Oosterum also has a nice substack post up expanding on it here:
open.substack.com/pub/kylevo/p...
I am grateful for the thoughtful commentary!
23 days ago
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reposted by
Marcus Arvan
Jason Chen
about 2 months ago
My interview with Marcus Arvan
@marcusarvan.bsky.social
about how many of history’s worst evils have resulted from far-right and far-left radicalism, and how many widely hailed social and political achievements have been achieved by moderates.
#philsky
#politics
youtu.be/yvk5e0VRpMU
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Why It's Okay to be a Moderate | Marcus Arvan | Ep. 81
YouTube video by Jason Chen
https://youtu.be/yvk5e0VRpMU
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A Substack outlining my book's argument that it's OK to be a political moderate, along with links to two podcast interviews: one with the leftist podcast "Academic Edgelords" and the other with conservative Spencer Case at "Micro-Digressions."
newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/why-its-ok...
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"Why It's OK to be a Moderate", Marcus Arvan (University of Tampa)
Routledge, 2025
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/why-its-ok-to-be-a-moderate-marcus
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Marcus Arvan
Alex Fisher
4 months ago
I wrote a short summary of the below recently published paper for the New Work in Philosophy blog.
open.substack.com/pub/newworki...
Thanks
@marcusarvan.bsky.social
for hosting this!
add a skeleton here at some point
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reposted by
Marcus Arvan
What Is It Like to Be a Philosopher?
4 months ago
Read “Ignorance Is the Foundation of Justice” in Too Weird to Believe, Too Plausible to Deny! @amazon:
a.co/d/chdPsv4
#philosophy
#justice
#ethics
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Happy to see this first review of "Why It's OK to be a Moderate" today.
interpretationjournal.com/shop/mcgowan...
"Arvan makes a well-reasoned, well-researched, and well-written case for viewing political moderates as the unsung heroes of democratic societies for well over a century...
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Michael McGowan: Marcus Arvan, Why It’s OK to Be a Moderate – Interpretation Journal
https://interpretationjournal.com/shop/mcgowan-arvan-ok-moderate/
4 months ago
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I recently went on Academic Edgelords, a leftist podcast, to discuss my new book, Why It's OK to be a Moderate. Much to my delight, all three hosts indicated that they enjoyed the book, and we had a fantastic discussion! If you're curious, check it out:
www.academicedgelords.com/2025/07/08/e...
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EP28: Is it Okay to be a Moderate? (On Marcus Arvan’s “Why it’s OK to Be a Moderate”) - Academic Edgelords
Is moderation just fence-sitting, or is it a forgotten virtue? In this episode, we sit down with philosopher Marcus Arvan to discuss his new book…
https://www.academicedgelords.com/2025/07/08/ep28-is-it-okay-to-be-a-moderate-on-marcus-arvans-why-its-okay-to-be-a-moderate/
7 months ago
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I am devastated to learn of my dear friend and fellow philosopher Helen De Cruz’s passing. With Helen's blessing, her husband Johan and I agreed to circulate a GoFundMe on their children’s behalf. Please feel free to share and circulate widely.
www.gofundme.com/f/support-he...
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Donate to Support Helen's Children After Her Passing, organized by Marcus Arvan
Help provide Helen De Cruz's children with a better start in life after her un… Marcus Arvan needs your support for Support Helen's Children After Her Passing
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-helens-children-after-her-passing
8 months ago
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marcusarvan.substack.com/p/the-ai-saf...
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The A.I. Safety Embarrassment Cycle
Explaining the repeated failures of AI safety research and development
https://marcusarvan.substack.com/p/the-ai-safety-embarrassment-cycle
9 months ago
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reposted by
Marcus Arvan
Stefano Gualeni
9 months ago
"How to do philosophy with (science) fiction" Here are some reflections on writing weird novels as scholarly outputs (with thanks to
@marcusarvan.bsky.social
). >>
newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/giacomo-pe...
<<
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Giacomo Pezzano (Università di Torino) & Stefano Gualeni (University of Malta), “How to Do Philosophy with Sci-Fiction: A Case of Hybrid Textuality”
Filosofia, 2024.
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/giacomo-pezzano-universita-di-torino
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“As they try to tackle a problem step by step, they run the risk of hallucinating at each step. The errors can compound as they spend more time thinking.” Your daily reminder that “aligning” LLMs with what we want them to do is a fool’s errand.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/t...
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A.I. Hallucinations Are Getting Worse, Even as New Systems Become More Powerful
A new wave of “reasoning” systems from companies like OpenAI is producing incorrect information more often. Even the companies don’t know why.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/technology/ai-hallucinations-chatgpt-google.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
9 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/04...
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We Should Disaggregate Philosophy’s Graduate Admissions, Placement, Tenure and Promotion, and Publishing Data by Mother/Parent Status (Guest post by Maja Sidzińska)
By Maja Sidzińska How well do mothers fare in graduate admissions in academic philosophy relative to fathers and those who aren’t parents? How well do they fare on the academic job market in philosoph...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/04/we-should-disaggregate-philosophys-graduate-admissions-placement-tenure-and-promotion-and-publishing.html
10 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/03...
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Reading suggestions for an undergraduate interested in epistemology and existentialism?
I have a bright undergraduate student who has taken a couple of philosophy courses who asked if I have any recommendations for readings in epistemology and existentialism. I'd really like to provide t...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/03/reading-suggestions-for-an-undergraduate-interested-in-epistemology-and-existentialism.html
11 months ago
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reposted by
Marcus Arvan
Joe
11 months ago
I made a video for New Work in Philosophy on mind and self, from Descartes to the anti-Cartesians. Thanks
@marcusarvan.bsky.social
for the invite!
youtu.be/tPXbnketu8I
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Joseph Gough (Oxford), "The embodied, relational self: extending or rejecting the mind?"
YouTube video by New Work in Philosophy
https://youtu.be/tPXbnketu8I
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A fun, short interview at "Why Philosophy?" on my path into philosophy, what philosophy means to me, etc. Many thanks to Céline Leboeuf for the invitation. It's a great series, and I highly recommend subscribing to her substack!
celineleboeuf.substack.com/p/why-philos...
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Why Philosophy? Marcus Arvan
Good philosophies make our lives and the world better.
https://celineleboeuf.substack.com/p/why-philosophy-marcus-arvan
11 months ago
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New podcast interview with Reid Blackman on whether AI control and alignment are possible. Thanks so much to Reid for having me on--it was a fun discussion!
open.spotify.com/episode/5rdh...
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AI is Uncontrollable
Ethical Machines · Episode
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5rdhVtEcjXOcIOMA2GOYbM
11 months ago
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I am excited to report that my new book, "Why It's OK to be a Moderate", is now available for purchase ($24.99 paperback / $14.74 Kindle).
www.amazon.com/Why-Its-OK-B...
From the book's jacket synopsis: "Arvan shows that it’s OK to be a moderate precisely because not everyone should be one...
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Why It's OK to Be a Moderate
Amazon.com: Why It's OK to Be a Moderate: 9781032613864: Arvan, Marcus: Books
https://www.amazon.com/Why-Its-OK-Be-Moderate/dp/1032613866/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
11 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/03...
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How do you honestly feel about teaching?
In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: I'm a grad student on the market, and I have a lot of teaching experience (as TA and as lecturer at my degree-granting institution as w...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/03/how-do-you-honestly-feel-about-teaching.html
11 months ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/amanda-eva...
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Amanda Evans (University of Pittsburgh), "Medical paternalism, anorexia nervosa, and the problem of pathological values"
Synthese, 2025
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/amanda-evans-university-of-pittsburgh
11 months ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/steffen-ko...
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Steffen Koch (University of Bielefeld), "Merely verbal agreement, speaker-meaning, and defective context"
Synthese, 2025
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/steffen-koch-university-of-bielefeld
11 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Taking on a new AOS mid-career?
In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: I would like to hear people's experience of changing AOS(s), especially from mid-career philosophers. I do not have a specific question. But...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/taking-on-a-new-aos-mid-career.html
12 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Is it advisable for early-career people (including grad students) to blog about philosophy?
In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: Is it advisable for an early-career philosopher (or philosophy graduate student) to blog about philosophy? How does one tell which philosoph...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/is-it-advisable-for-early-career-philosophers-including-grad-students-to-blog-about-philosophy.html
12 months ago
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New paper in Journal of Moral Philosophy:
philpapers.org/rec/ARVMLO
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Marcus Arvan, Metaethical Lessons of a Failed Ontological Proof of Robust Moral Realism - PhilPapers
Michael Huemer claims to give an ontological proof of robust moral realism, the influential view that we have non-selfish, categorical, observer-independent reasons for action. This paper argues that ...
https://philpapers.org/rec/ARVMLO
12 months ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/neil-levy-...
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Neil Levy (Macquarie University), "Impostor syndrome and pretense"
Inquiry - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy, 2022
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/neil-levy-macquarie-university-impostor
12 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Greg Stoutenberg's (now-)free "Career Change in 30 Days - for Academics"
Greg Stoutenberg wrote in to draw my attention to this free career change resource he put together: https://gregstoutenburg.gumroad.com/l/careerchange It seems like a really great resource, and I expe...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/greg-stoutenbergs-now-free-career-change-in-30-days-for-academics.html
12 months ago
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1
1
philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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How often to ask for updated recommendation letters?
In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: Here's a question for other people who spend multiple years continuously on the job market. How often do you ask your references to update t...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/how-often-to-ask-for-updated-recommendation-letters.html
12 months ago
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1
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Gossip about disastrous interviews?
In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: I'm an ABD person on the job market for the first time. I had a fair number of first round interviews this cycle--some went well, some were com...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/gossip-about-disastrous-interviews.html
12 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Philosophical "superstars"
In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: Sometimes I hear people describe some philosopher as a "superstar", but what exactly does that mean? Is it about publications? Or fame? What is...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/philosophical-superstars.html
12 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Is publishing in specialty journals enough?
In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: When publishing for the job market, do I really need to try and publish at least one article in a top generalist journal? Or will publishing in...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/is-publishing-in-specialty-journals-enough.html
12 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Do students interested in history of philosophy need (foreign) language competence?
In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: We have a super talented junior philosophy major with an interest in going to graduate school. They have a special interest in a historical per...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/do-students-interested-in-history-of-philosophy-need-foreign-language-competence.html
12 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Interview w/Jared Oliphint @Selling Plato podcast
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/interview-with-jared-oliphint-selling-plato-podcast.html
12 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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How are tenure cases handled with interdisciplinary candidates?
In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: How are philosophy tenure cases handled when the candidate is interdisciplinary (e.g., publishes in both philosophy and science journals)? I'm ...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/how-are-tenure-cases-handled-with-interdisciplinary-candidates.html
12 months ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Which AI tools have you found useful for doing philosophy?
In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: What AI tools have you found most useful for doing philosophy? What philosophy-related tasks have you found them most useful for? (I am asking ...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/which-ai-tools-have-you-found-useful-for-doing-philosophy.html
about 1 year ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/nina-emery...
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Nina Emery (Mount Holyoke College), "Mooreanism in Metaphysics from Mooreanism in Physics"
Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy (2024)
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/nina-emery-mount-holyoke-college-2d8
about 1 year ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Tips for struggling with the social aspect of conferences?
In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: I am a grad student and I find conferences difficult, particularly the social aspect. I have found myself getting lunch or dinner alone when I ...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/tips-for-struggling-with-the-social-aspect-of-conferences.html
about 1 year ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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Tips for seeking feedback on papers (for a philosopher in a non-Anglophone country)?
In our new "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: I am an early-career philosopher from a non-Anglophone country. After earning my PhD from an institution in my home country, I secured a tenure...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/tips-for-seeking-feedback-on-papers-for-a-philosopher-in-a-non-anglophone-country.html
about 1 year ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02...
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How can we help you? (February 2025)
Now that it's been several months since our last "how can we help you?" thread, it's time for a new one. For those of you unfamiliar with this series, this is a chance for you to post openly or anonym...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/02/how-can-we-help-you-february-2025.html
about 1 year ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/elvira-bas...
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Elvira Basevich (UC Davis), "The Promise and Limit of Kant’s Theory of Justice: On Race, Gender, and the Structural Domination of Laborers"
Watch now (21 min) | Forthcoming in Kantian Review
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/elvira-basevich-uc-davis-the-promise
about 1 year ago
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1
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/nina-emery...
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Nina Emery (Mount Holyoke College), "The Governing Conception of Laws"
Forthcoming in Ergo
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/nina-emery-mount-holyoke-college
about 1 year ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/marion-bou...
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Marion Boulicault (MIT), "Feminist Philosophers of Science Analyze the Tensions Between 'Sex as a Biological Variable' Mandates and Precision Medicine Initiatives"
"Why 'sex as a biological variable' conflicts with precision medicine initiatives" - Cell Reports Medicine, 2022
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/marion-boulicault-mit-feminist-philosophers
about 1 year ago
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1
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/01...
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Getting asked to review papers for journals soon after providing authors feedback?
In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: I am an early career philosopher currently in a postdoc. I have published enough in a niche subfield X that more established philosophe...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/01/getting-asked-to-review-papers-just-after-providing-feedback-on-them.html
about 1 year ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/agnes-call...
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Agnes Callard (University of Chicago), "Being Good at Being Bad: Plato's Hippias Minor"
The Cambridge Companion to Plato, 2022
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/agnes-callard-university-of-chicago
about 1 year ago
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/01...
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How/when do you read things not directly relevant to research?
In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, a reader asks: I am curious about how/when people read books that are not directly relevant to their research projects, especially for those who are a...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/01/howwhen-do-you-read-things-not-directly-relevant-to-research.html
about 1 year ago
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1
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philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/01...
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What was it like writing your first publication?
In our most recent "how can we help you?" thread, Struggling Writer asks, "What was it like writing your first publication?" Here's my honest answer: it was a long, arduous, frustrating process that i...
https://philosopherscocoon.typepad.com/blog/2025/01/what-was-it-like-writing-your-first-publication.html
about 1 year ago
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My new op-ed at Scientific American:
www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-i...
. Hope some of you find it of interest!
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AI Is Too Unpredictable to Behave According to Human Goals
AI “alignment” is a buzzword, not a feasible safety goal
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-is-too-unpredictable-to-behave-according-to-human-goals/
about 1 year ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/jules-wong...
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Jules Wong (Pennsylvania State University), “Ambivalences of Trans Recognition”
Forthcoming in Hypatia
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/jules-wong-pennsylvania-state-university
about 1 year ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/raff-donel...
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Raff Donelson (Illinois Institute of Technology), "The Pragmatist School in Analytic Jurisprudence"
Philosophical Issues, 2021
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/raff-donelson-illinois-institute
about 1 year ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/berislav-m...
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Berislav Marušić (University of Edinburgh), "On the Temporality of Emotions: An Essay on Grief, Anger, and Love"
Oxford University Press, 2022
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/berislav-marusic-university-of-edinburgh
about 1 year ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/farbod-akh...
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Farbod Akhlaghi (Christ's College, University of Cambridge), "Non-Realist Cognitivism, Truthmaking, and Ontological Cheating"
Ethics, 2022
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/farbod-akhlaghi-christs-college-university
about 1 year ago
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newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/wendy-salk...
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Wendy Salkin (Stanford University), "Democracy Within, Justice Without: The Duties of Informal Political Representatives"
Noûs, 2021
https://newworkinphilosophy.substack.com/p/wendy-salkin-stanford-university
about 1 year ago
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