An experimental reading group

Ethics Etc will host a reading group on Anthony Appiah's new book Experiments in Ethics. The reading group is set to begin in early March and the discussion will take place every other week. Each week one person from the group will give a brief summary of the chapter and provide some points for discussion.

I purchased Appiah's book at the APA in Baltimore, gobbled it up before his Presidential address, and continue to read from it on a regular. I highly suggest Appiah's book to anyone interested in the role of experimental philosophy in ethics.

NOTE: The New York Times Book Review published a review by Paul Bloom (Psychology, Yale) of Appiah's book (here). In it, Bloom suggests that philosophers should be worried about experimental work because it shows that science will eventually replace philosophy. What ought we worry about? As Appiah notes in his book, almost all of the major figures in the history of philosophy have had an experimental side, including Hume and Kant. We ought not be isolated from the rest of the academic community; to be so isolated - as we seem to be - from the rest of the academic community spells more trouble for philosophy than its incorporating scientific methods in its more experimental work.

61st Philosophy Carnival

Inconsistent Thoughts hosts the 61st Philosophy Carnival (here).

One particular contribution deserves to be noted for its discussion of action theory. Roman Altshuler has a post arguing that an agent can act for more than one reason to perform some particular act and shows why critics who argue that the agent acted for only one reason are incorrect.

Also, Thom Brook's widely-read and well-received post regarding publishing advice for graduate students appears in this edition of Philosophy Carnival.

Round up: dead philosophers, people and the value of philosophy, etc.

I've always said the best career move a philosopher can make is to drop dead, the younger the better. Now, there's a philosophy carnival on "dead philosophers" (here).

Brian Leiter has an interesting thread brewing on the state of the philosophy profession. In the thread, he asks whether the profession is better off than it was in 1997. (here)

Have you ever wondered what ordinary people say about the value of philosophy? Several people have commented on the value of philosophy in response to an article that appeared in The Herald (here). The comments are interesting (and some are even - dare I say - insightful)! HT: Religion, Philosophy and Ethics course.

I've got a couple of posts in the works, so there might be a flurry of them appearing later today.