AAPT Members American Association of Philosophy Teachers

In a quick note about the 'Askphil' app for the iPhone (which got me through the last graduation ceremony I attended),  Lisa Heldke opens with this brilliant bit: Dial PHI for Philosophy - Posted on July 16th, 2010 by Lisa Heldke

Are you stranded in a boat in the middle of the ocean that you are repairing one plank at a time/stranded in a crowded lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with only enough supplies for half the people aboard/lost in the Clouds Cuckooland/suddenly in control of the switching mechanism of a train track on which hundreds of people are milling about, oblivious of the train bearing down on them/standing in a paint store where the shade of blue you need to complete your living room–the shade you know must exist–is just plain missing?

Thought y'all might get a kick out of it...

This sounds entertaining: UCSB had a public debate where representatives of various disciplines had to argue that their discipline was the only one worth saving after a zombie Apocalypse.  Philosophy won (who would have doubted otherwise, I ask you?)

The Santa Barbara Independent Philosophy Most Valuable Discipline?

Philosophy’s Zimmerman, the ultimate winner, declared, “This is at core a philosopher’s debate.” He argued that with philosophy, “We’ll be able to reconstruct the whole of knowledge, because philosophy is the mother of all knowledge.” Being a “jack of all trades, a master of none, is usually a weakness,” he said, “but works to my advantage in this case.”

I wonder if the next time I'm asked 'what could I do with a philosophy major?', I should respond: 'survive a zombie apocalypse, obviously...'

From McSweeney's, via Anne Nestor:

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Socrates and Glaucon on the Home Shopping Network.

SOCRATES: If "clean" means the opposite of "dirty," then to clean is to rid a space of dirt or plague, yes?

GLAUCON: Yes, Socrates.

This is just crying out for the Xtranormal treatment a la Berkeley's Three Dialogues and Robotic Socrates.

The Philosophy Shop is sponsoring a replay of Monty Python's famous philosophers football match May 9th in North London! For those of us who won't be in N. London on May 9, there are t-shirts to buy -- or you can even bid on a football signed by the Pythons! Fabulous stuff - three cheers for the Philosophy shop!

Philosophers Football

Forget The World Cup!
Join us for THE REALLY
big football fixture of 2010…
Who needs Beckham and Brazil when you have Plato and Kant on the park? Yes, we mean top fixture 'Socrates Wanderers' versus 'Nietzsche Albion,' North London, Spring 2010!

Inspired by the famous 1972 Monty Python sketch and with the full backing of the surviving Pythons, a tribute/replay of ‘The Philosophers' Football Match’ comedy sketch between 'Greeks' and 'Germans' in London is being held this year as a real football game – and we'd love to get your support!

The next question to be asked is: will this be streamed live on the internet?

Among other shocking revelations:

(Thanks to Rory Kraft (York College, PA) for the pointer)

Statue stolen from SU, sold to recycling center | delmarvanow.com | The Daily Times

campus authorities are investigating the theft of a 5-foot bronze statue of American author, philosopher and transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau.

Comrade Physioprof recently posted a little video encapulating his recent experience at a conference. You can make these videos online from texts - so I could't resist. Enjoy:

Sorry, I really wanted a bad Irish accent for Philonous, but they only had three 'generic UK' accents, so I choose the one that most closely matched the 'Guide' in Hitchiker's Guide. Seems fitting enough.

Here's an oddity:
The Associated Press: Vatican paper says 'The Simpsons' are okely dokely

Without Homer Simpson and the other yellow-skinned characters "many today wouldn't know how to laugh," said the article titled "Aristotle's Virtues and Homer's Doughnut."

L'Osservatore Romano's english edition site (here) has only the 1st page of this edition publicly available, so we don't have access to the original. Still - it might be worth a look for an intro classes using popular culture to introduce Philosophy.

Riva Gold, phil major from McGill, has a highly entertaining commentary on the gender gap in Philosophy. While I don't want to minimize the concerns she is expressing, I just can't pass up some of these quotes, like the one in the title.

The Patriarchy of Philosophy: Women in philosophy departments find themselves pushed to the margins

Philosophy is one of those rare majors that, when declared, simultaneously elicits looks of reverence and contempt from others. Philosophy majors are often seen as meek hipster wannabes who emit foul odours and begin every sentence with “it is the case that.” And with good reason.

It took me nearly three months to learn what Hegel meant by “ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny” and I assure you, it was not fascinating.  read more »

The Chicago Flame has a profile on the Philosophy Department, noting some of the ways the department is dealing with budget cuts, such as:
Deep thoughts, deep problems? - News

...not all faculty have phones in their offices anymore. This was entirely voluntary: anybody who wanted to keep their phone kept it. Since some have cellphones [office phones weren't] necessary." [on page 2]