Professor Of Philosophy Research Articles

Asking About the ‘Unspeakable’: Joan Ringelheim and Early Research on Sexual Violence and Same-Sex Practices among Women During the Holocaust

ABSTRACT This article examines feminist scholar Joan Ringelheim’s inquiry about sexual violence and same-sex practices among women during the Holocaust. Drawing on her unpublished manuscript, drafts of conference papers, correspondence, and grassroots oral history interviews in addition to her published work, this article examines how Ringelheim’s analysis of these two topics changed over time. Between the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, Ringelheim worked in a variety of professional roles as a philosophy professor, independent scholar, and an employee of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. In each of these positions, she initiated conversations with survivors, scholars, feminist activists, and museum workers, and contributed to innovative conceptual frameworks about these issues that influenced scholarship for decades. Her work was met with both support and considerable hostility. To understand why this was the case, this article historicizes Ringelheim’s efforts within contemporary contexts, including American Jewish debates about the Jewish family, feminist debates about sexuality and women’s history, and the rise of Holocaust consciousness in the United States. My contention is that as Ringelheim asked questions about sexuality during the Holocaust, she had to not only begin to disentangle decades of compounded silencing and mythologization, but she also needed to navigate various forms of pushback related to these debates.

Robert Bernasconi and the challenges of a Critical Philosophy of Race: (Un)learning to read and teach the history of moral philosophy

This essay is an attempt to determine what Robert Bernasconi’s body of work in Critical Philosophy of Race can teach us about the way in which we, philosophers and professors of philosophy, ought to treat our institutional heritage. What should we make, for instance, of moral claims made by philosophers of the modern era who – tacitly or explicitly – manifested certain levels of endorsement toward the Atlantic Slave Trade? How should we comprehend the conceptual tools that we have inherited from them, knowing that those were formulated alongside justificatory claims for the enslavement of Africans – claims that we now deem undoubtably and universally immoral? I extract from Bernasconi’s writings an implicit methodology that can be broken down into three main moves: (1) a historiographical work, akin to Michel Foucault’s ‘archaeological’ method, aimed at uncovering the material conditions that allowed for the emergence of philosophical ideas of the past, (2) a dialectical work aimed at interpreting this collection of historical data through the critical lens of race, and (3) a pedagogical work aimed at transforming the practice of academic philosophy in light of the critique. I conclude that his methodological contribution culminates in an invitation to revisit and transform the past of the institution by treating the history of academic philosophy as philosophically and conceptually relevant rather than merely incidental. Such a commitment toward critically engaging the past of our institution urges us to revisit the canon in specific ways.

A Danish Professor of Philosophy

A Danish Professor of Philosophy

AARSE Conversations about the Challenges of the Small Religious Studies Program

The Conference presents scholarly dialogue pertinent to the field of Religious Studies. The piece in this issue of the Bulletin is taken from the March 2023 American Academy of Religions South East Conference at Mercer University in Atlanta, GA. Presiding over the discussion is Vaia Touna Associate Professor and Graduate Studies Director at the University of Alabama. Members of the panel include Matthew Baldwin, Professor Emeritus of Religion and Philosophy at Mars Hill University and Brandi Denison, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of North Florida. In this panel the members discuss challenges which face smaller religious studies programs.

Entrevista a Roberto Esposito

Roberto Esposito (Piano di Sorrento, Italy, 1950) is one of the greatest living philosophers. He is considered one of the leading thinkers in contemporary Italian thought and in the reflection on biopolitics. He is currently a professor of theoretical philosophy at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy.

The Nature of Contemporary African Moral and Political Philosophy: An Introduction

Abstract While there has long been philosophical thinking on the African continent, it was not until the middle of the 20th century that professional philosophy emerged on the continent. Though traditional African cultures have rich oral histories that some contemporary philosophers explicitly draw upon, it was not until universities emerged that there was philosophy conducted by professional philosophers who published their findings in academic venues. To date, much of this work has been conducted in English. The emphasis this tradition places on the community and social harmony will probably stand out immediately to any reader steeped in the Western philosophical tradition. The articles in this issue represent different styles of conducting African philosophy, such as employing analytic methods in order to develop moral theories, questioning the use of Western epistemic standards, and mining ideas from the history of Africa.

The disappearance of Allan Bloom

AbstractIn humanities departments across the country Allan Bloom is condemned and reviled—but for what misconduct? The present investigation into our distorted view of Bloom begins by reframing his transgressions. Bloom has offended eminent philosophy professors by boosting students' desire for a philosophic education. He has emboldened promising young people by teaching them to bear up under the deforming forces of convention and corruption and edge their way towards the question, ‘How should I live my life?’ A philosophic education as Bloom sees it ‘means precisely helping students to pose this question to themselves, to become aware that the answer is neither obvious nor simply unavailable, and that there is no serious life in which this question is not a continuous concern’. The philosopher's interests are not shared by most people. Hostility to philosophy is the natural condition of man. This surprising fact, plainly stated, invites so much anger that Bloom—standing in for the philosopher—is forced to defend himself. The story of Bloom, like Socrates', gives an account of philosophy's emergence, distinctive features and always imaginable suppression. Plato's artful writing captured Socrates' way of life for posterity. This essay explores the nature and function of Bloom's bestselling book The Closing of the American Mind (1987), as well as the purpose of Saul Bellow's final novel, Ravelstein (2000), a fictive account of Bloom's life and death. Together these books amount to the true Apology of Allan Bloom.

A (moderate) skill-based defense of the expertise defense

ABSTRACT The expertise defense is the best-known response by armchair philosophers to the challenge posed by experimental philosophers regarding the trustworthiness of intuitions. In a series of recent experiments, Experimental philosophers have recently focused on professional philosophers, claiming that, contrary to what the expertise defense assumes, philosophers’ intuitions are no less susceptible to the influence of irrelevant factors (the direct strategy). Additionally, drawing from literature on expertise, they contend that, unlike other domains of expertise, practice does not improve philosophers’ intuitions (the indirect strategy). In this paper, adopting a skill-based perspective on expertise, my primary objective is to defend the expertise defense against both direct and indirect strategies. Based on the skill-based account, I present three arguments against the direct strategy by challenging its power, scope and methodology. Furthermore, borrowing empirical findings from recent literature on expertise, I argue against the indirect strategy that four skills that constitute philosophical expertise regarding thought experiments can be improved through various forms of practice, including deliberate practice. However, my moderate defense departs from typical versions of the expertise defense since I argue that while recent experiments by experimental philosophers cannot undermine the expertise defense, they provide valuable insights into philosophical expertise.

Existence Within and Beyond the Bounds of Mere Reason: The Confrontation Between Schelling and Hegel

In the multi-faceted trajectory of post-Kantian thought, Schelling—both the person and his philosophy—has always been a controversial figure. Popular historical accounts focus on his precocious interventions as part of the ‘Jena set’, initially building on Fichte's philosophy of the ‘I’, but quickly coming to challenge his predecessor's philosophical dominance. In the crucial period of the late 1790s, Schelling's most notable intervention was to develop a philosophy of nature alongside the Kantian and Fichtean theories of transcendental subjectivity, which caught the attention of Goethe and led to his appointment, at the age of twenty-three, as professor of philosophy at the University of Jena. But Schelling's life and philosophical work continued well beyond this well-documented period, culminating in a late system in which he developed key ideas surrounding freedom, existence, modality and the history of human consciousness that all revolved around a distinction between what he called negative and positive philosophy. This distinction, and his insistence on the need for the development of the latter mode of philosophy, came to challenge some of the core assumptions of the largely rationalist German idealist project and it remains, to this day, perhaps the most powerful alternative to the Hegelian system that rose to dominance already within Schelling's own lifetime, but also well beyond it.

Философия как призвание и профессия: история становления философа в России, рассказанная от первого лица

This essay is a recollection of my years of study at Moscow State University and the beginning of work at the Higher School of Economics, as well as a reflection on the current period and state of philosophy in Russia in general. The purpose of this essay is an attempt to reflect on one’s belonging to a certain generation of philosophers, comparing it with past and future generations, as well as an attempt to trace the successive thread of generations. Using the example of my own apprenticeship, as well as teaching, the distinctive features of each new stage in the formation of philosophy in Russia are shown. Based on personal experience, the similarities and differences between Russian and foreign practice of teaching philosophy, as well as working in the academy as a professional philosopher, are thought through. The influence of the most significant and key studies and researchers on my philosophical perception, as well as on the formation of my generation of philosophers, is traced. The names and faces represent the characteristic spirit of a certain philosophical era, the most valuable and defining relationships for the author with colleagues and friends, the most important and promising projects and joint endeavors are recalled.

Кто я, философ-миллениал, и кем могу стать?

The article attempts to find the specifics of the generation of millennial philosophers through an analysis of the features of the historical location - the historical baggage and challenges that the modern stage of development of knowledge and human society, rich in opportunities and risks, poses to the philosopher. Working with generational topics, the author relies on classic works in this area by K. Mannheim and J. Ortega y Gasset, the domestic sociological tradition represented by T. Shanin, Yu. Levada and others, modern studies of the millennial generation, in particular the so-called Generation I (J. Twenge). In addition, the author, belonging to the corresponding age cohort, analyzes personal experience, speaking as a representative of the millennial generation in general and the generation of millennial philosophers in particular. The main emphasis is on considering how the choice of profession occurred, what events determined it, what was the motivation in the 2000s - first to go to study at the Faculty of Philosophy, then to write a dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Philosophy and, finally, to build a career as a professional philosopher. At the same time, the author is critical of the fact that he belongs to the millennial generation, honestly identifying and explaining some distance from peers and emotional rootedness in the experience of previous generations, primarily the sixties and seventies. Stating the facts of his own biography that can influence the assessment of the sociocultural and professional significance of the generation of millennial philosophers, the author offers his vision of the main features that distinguish millennials as a philosophical generation. One of the main theses substantiated in the article is the statement about the fundamental openness of the fate of the millennial generation in philosophy, whose history is not only unwritten, but not strictly predetermined by the past and present, being dependent on the rapidly changing images of the nearest and more distant future.

Speculation and praxis.

The paper addresses the journal Jahrbücher für speculative Philosophie, published between 1846 and 1848 in Darmstadt. The paper focuses on the forewords of the journal written by the sole editor Ludwig Noack (1819–1885). In these forewords, Noack elaborates the current situation of philosophy. He outlines his vision for the future philosophy. It would be meaningful not only for professional philosophers but also for the general audience. Moreover, it would be closely associated with other sciences. Noack’s vision was inspired by August Cieszkowski’s (1814–1894) so-called “Philosophie der Tat” (the philosophy of action), which resonated with the entire generation of German Hegelians from the late 1830s. Noack realized his journal in co-operation with the “Philosophische Gesellschaft zu Berlin”, founded by Cieszkowski and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s (1770–1831) former student Carl Ludwig Michelet (1801–1893) in 1843.

Living in Illusion is Dangerous

Abstract The interview given by Marina F. Bykova, Professor of Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at North Carolina State University (USA), and the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Studies in East European Thought. She earned her PhD and Dr. Habil in Philosophy from the Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia), where she worked until relocating to the USA in 2000. Bykova specializes in the history of nineteenth century continental philosophy, with a particular focus on German idealism. She has also written extensively on Russian philosophy and intellectual tradition. She has published 11 books and over 250 scholarly articles. Her forthcoming book, Hegel’s Philosophy of Nature: A Critical Guide, is set to be released by Cambridge University Press in 2024.

Piled-up Risk Factors: a Case Report of Diogenes Syndrome

IntroductionDiogenes Syndrome (DS) is an uncommon neurobehavioral syndrome characterized by social isolation, extreme neglect of personal care and a tendency to excessively accumulate useless objects in the home, usually leading to unsanitary living conditions. It is further characterized by a lack of insight into the condition, leading to a refusal to seek assistance.ObjectivesTo outline the clinical features of primary DS, unassociated with other psychiatric conditions, emphasizing key risk factors contributing to its development.MethodsDescriptive report of a case of DS, based on an interview with the patient, review of his clinical file, and a non-systematic literature review using the PubMed database.ResultsWe report a case of a 62-year-old man, widowed since the age of 33, without children, living alone in a rural area in the north of Portugal. Currently retired, he worked as a Philosophy Professor. He had no known psychiatric history until 2015, when he attended two psychiatric appointments, due to anxiety and changes in sleep pattern. He has since lost psychiatric follow-up and in May 2022 he was brought to the emergency department by his neighbor, due to changes in his behavior. He was seen several times rummaging trough trash and he didn’t leave the house for a few weeks, resulting in a cluttered and unsanitary living space. He looked malnourished, unkempt and dirty. Despite not recognizing his behavior as problematic, he accepted hospitalization. No obsessive-compulsive, depressive or psychotic symptoms were detected, nor were dysfunctional personality traits. Reversible causes of dementia were excluded, a cranioencephalic CT scan revealed no abnormal findings and a neuropsychological assessment showed no changes in cognitive functions. Post-discharge, local health services provided home support, with meal delivery and house cleaning. However, he did not buy the medication and canceled the home support service several times, ending up being hospitalized again. After this second hospitalization in August 2023, he went to live with his brother in another city and has remained stable, medicated with an SSRI and low dose Aripiprazole.ConclusionsPrimary Diogenes Syndrome is rare and and its etiopathogenesis remains poorly understood. It is known that there is no distinction between genders, profession or socioeconomic status, and that it is more common in the elderly, single people, widowers and people with poor or non-existent social links with their local community. Familiarity with DS characteristics enables earlier recognition of such individuals, thereby facilitating prompt provision of social and clinical support in order to reduce morbidity, mortality, and enhance public health.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Robot Ethics

Robot Ethics

Robot Ethics

Robot Ethics

“You Are Not Alone”: Angela Davis and the Soviet Dreams of Freedom

AbstractIn the early 1970s, the plight of a charismatic Black American communist and philosophy professor Angela Davis, put on trial in the United States for her alleged involvement in a courtroom shootout in California, galvanized international public opinion. A massive publicity campaign in support of Angela Davis resonated across the globe and drew in millions of volunteers and sympathizers. The nations of the communist bloc, led by the Soviet Union, were particularly active in rallying their citizens in defense of a jailed American radical. In 1970–1972, Davis became a household name throughout the Soviet Union (but also in East Germany, Cuba, Poland, and other socialist nations). The “Free Angela Davis” campaign was unprecedented in scope and left a lasting mark on the collective memory of the citizens of the Soviet Union and its socialist satellites. Such was the impact of this propaganda juggernaut that decades later the image of Angela Davis remained current as a pop-cultural phenomenon across the former Soviet spaces and a symbol of unrealized and often conflicting aspirations towards freedom.

Czy ufamy historii? Piotr Kowalewski Jahromi rozmawia z Veróniką Tozzi Thompson

In this interview, conducted during the XXIII International Congress of Historical Sciences in Poznan, Verónica Tozzi Thompson (professor of Philosophy of History at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina) discusses historiography in Argentina and recent trends in historical theory, in particular the epistemology of the witness. She addresses important issues concerning key concepts for the philosophy and sociology of history: truth and trust. In addition, Tozzi Thompson discusses the differences and connections between analytic and narrativist philoso-phy of history and recommends some further readings.

Sociable individualism: Christian Jakob Kraus and the Königsberg Enlightenment

ABSTRACT Christian Jakob Kraus (1753–1807), political economist and Professor of Practical Philosophy at the University of Königsberg, has long been neglected by historians, dismissed as a translator, a teacher, and a derivative disciple of Adam Smith. This article posits sociability as a useful category for understanding Kraus’s life, thought, and legacy. It aims to thereby reposition him as a meaningful figure in the late German Enlightenment. First, Kraus is presented as a natural Einsiedler who, surrounded by the commercially vibrant Königsberg, comes to champion a methodology foregrounding praxis, lived experience, and the application of ideas for communal benefit. This ‘sociable’ approach to knowledge is contextualised within broader critiques of scholarly esotericism across Germany. Second, his work is treated as a case study elucidating the interdependence of individualism and sociability in the wider European Enlightenment. I argue that Kraus expressed a ‘sociable individualism,’ drawing upon Smith and Immanuel Kant, which harmonised autonomy and community.

Islamisk teologi och filosofi vid Uppsala universitet

This article describes the development that led to the appointment of a professor in Islamic Theology and Philosophy at the Faculty of Theology, Uppsala University, and, at a later stage, to a renewed understanding of Systematic Theology, with two orientations: (1) Worldview Studies and Christian Theology and (2) Islamic Theology. The point of departure is earlier theoretical and methodological considerations by the authors concerning Islamic theology in a contemporary Nordic university setting. Mikael Stenmark was later to become the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, between 2008 and 2014, and during that period new courses in Islamic Theology and Philosophy were designed and Professor Mohammad Fazlhashemi was hired to lead the development of Islamic Theology and Philosophy. This is described in the first section of the article. In the following sections, the academic discipline in which Islamic Theology later was to be integrated, Systematic Theology, is described historically and theoretically in view of the broader work with rethinking the disciplinary structure of the Faculty of Theology during the period when Mattias Martinson was Dean, between 2014 and 2020. The article concludes with a reflection on the current situation and an outlook towards the challenges that a commitment to Islamic Theology entails at a Northern European state university.