The Struggle for Recognition

April 13, 2011

By Scott McLemee

In a memorable passage from The Philosophy of History, Hegel quotes a common saying of his day that runs, “No man is a hero to his valet-de-chambre.” This corresponds, in contemporary terms, to the familiar sentiment that even the most distinguished individual “puts his pants on one leg at a time like everybody else.” It is somewhere between wisdom and truism. But Hegel seems to take it badly. After quoting the proverb, he adds his own twist: “not because the former is no hero, but because the latter is a valet.”
[Deals with the worth of recognitions where recognition is so commonplace. Perhaps too in philosophy?] 

External Funding for Graduate Philosophy Students

Found on a great resources, includes links  for graduate student funding at http://philosophyapplicant.wordpress.com. It does not seem to keep updated, but still has some great resources.

Canadian MA Funding

Quick tip for MA applicants: Most US MA programs in Philosophydon't have any funding opportunities. Many Canadian programs do.

Defending the Humanities Through...Philosophy of Mind?

Basically an article about how studies in philosophy of mind show that 'science' or hard facts about the world do not give us a complete set of knowledge. Thus humanities programs should be encourage. Braced partially on the work of  David Chalmers. 

Found on "In Socrates' Wake" a blog about teaching philosophy

See full article HERE.

Book: Academically Adrift

If the purpose of a college education is for students to learn, academia is failing, according toAcademically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses, a book being released today by University of Chicago Press. Review and summery from Inside Higher Ed.

The UNIVERSITY SYSTEM as a failing BUSINESS

Many people have been outraged by the merciless cutting of departments recently. It seems to me that this is going about the problem in the wrong way. If we think about the college system as a business, which is partially how investors see it, I think I can show us several interesting aspects of it's decline.