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LuFlot: The first philosopher-powered chatbot
Portraits by Mara Lavitt; Image courtesy of Yale University
Philosophy of technology students now have a new tool at their disposal. The Luciano Floridi Bot, also known as LuFlot, is an AI-powered online tool designed to democratize access to philosophical material and foster engagement with the works of philosopher and...
Two Principles of Academic Ethics
Some time ago, while I was advising a doctoral student regarding her search for an academic position, she showed me her graduate school transcript. I noted that she had been awarded an A in every course but one; in that single instance, she had received a B. When I...
APA announces new AI2050 Prizes
The American Philosophical Association (APA) is pleased to announce the establishment of the APA AI2050 Prizes, supported by Schmidt Sciences. The APA AI2050 Prizes are awarded in recognition of outstanding philosophical scholarship (including interdisciplinary scholarship that engages philosophical issues) addressing any of the AI2050 Hard Problems. There are two...
An Alternative to Argumentation: Persuasion via Questions
In my last post, I introduced Julia Galef’s way of thinking about motivated reasoning, what she calls soldier mindset: people take ideas personally, and then respond with defensiveness when “their” ideas are attacked. Among other things, soldier mindset leads people to evaluate evidence in a different way, depending on...
Philosophical Mastery and Conceptual Competence
I roughly sort pedagogical issues into two broad categories: engagement and mastery. By “engagement” I mean roughly discussion and reflection on teaching methods that increase students’ motivation to learn the course material. By “mastery” I mean roughly discussion and reflection on teaching methods that improve students’ ability with respect...
The Power of Pan-Africanism: A Dialogue with Dr. LaRose Parris
Dr. LaRose T. Parris, originally from Jamaica in the West Indies, and shaped by the diverse cultural landscape of New York City, is Associate Professor and Chair of Africana Studies at Lehman College in the Bronx. Holding degrees from New York University (NYU), City College of New York, and...
The Supreme Court’s Symbolic Code of Conduct
Two things seem true about modern professional life. One, most professional activities nowadays (legal ones, anyway) are backed by a code of conduct—roughly, a set of written guidelines instructing participants how to behave to realize certain values their professional institution accepts. Professional societies like the American Philosophical Association have a Code...
Epistemic Refusal as a Form of Indigenous* Resistance and Respect
“Refusal is simultaneously a negation of access to information and resources, as well as an affirmation of sovereignties.” Rachel Flowers
I am an Indigenous philosopher, and my research explores the various types of relations between Indigenous people and those who claim to be their allies. Relations are significant to many Indigenous...
Dusty Slay and Zhuangzi’s Three in the Morning
Comedian Dusty Slay tells a story about trying to purchase some DVDs at a flea market. The DVDs are cheap: three for five dollars. He selects six DVDs. Unfortunately, the person running the store is not very good at basic math. Dusty gets into an awkward exchange trying to...
History of American Philosophy, Robin M. Muller
The origin story for this course is a bit unusual. State law in California requires students in the California State University system to engage in “comprehensive study” of American history and government, including “the historical development of American institutions and ideals.” Courses meeting this requirement are usually structured like...