“Courting controversy is instrumentally valuable towards the production of knowledge and other goods philosophy might bring about, but other things are valuable, too… So while I want to say, ‘yes, go for controversy,’ and ‘yes, have institutions protect the academic freedom and ability of philosophers to discuss controversial matters,’… there are ways to do this responsibly and ways to do it better…”
One reason demographic diversity (in race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, etc.) is good for philosophy is that it provides new constituencies needed to foster the growth of philosophy–or so I argue here.
I sometimes hear the question, “where are today’s great philosophers?” posed as a critique of contemporary philosophy. Yet of the explanations for the belief that “compared to the past, philosophy today lacks great thinkers,” the most plausible possibilities are compatible with philosophy being in better shape than ever.
DISAGREE 