What We Do
The deadline to submit a proposal for a workshop, lightning talk, or panel is quickly approaching!
We’re looking forward to our 6th conference on the theme of “Engagement, Policy, and Practice”! It will be online, from Oct. 21 - 23, 2021, hosted by public philosophers at George Mason University. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2021.
All the submission details and a link to the submission form can be found here.
At the Central Division Meeting of the APA in February 2021, MAP International and the Public Philosophy Network are co-sponsoring a Group Session on Public Philosophy and Activism. We are inviting submissions for brief, 5-10 minute presentations on the topic of public philosophy and activism. The session is scheduled for Saturday, February 27, 10:10am-1:10pm Central Time, and will take place virtually. The session keynote is Olufemi Taiwo (Georgetown).
Speakers have the option to present live at the session, or to pre-record their presentations (giving speakers the opportunity to incorporate video footage, music, and other media into their presentations). Possible topics for presentation include but are not limited to:
- The importance of public philosophy
- Strategies and formats for public philosophy and community engagement
- The unique role that philosophy can play in activism
- Experiences in public philosophy and activism
- How public engagement can inform the practice of philosophy
Submissions can be made using this Google form. The application is not intended to be selective -- we plan on accepting as many speakers as our session time allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 15. We will notify speakers by January 25.
Please send any questions and comments regarding submissions to mapforthegap@gmail.com.
PPN held elections for officers and Board members. We would like to thank outgoing officers Nancy McHugh, Ian Olasov, and A. Todd Franklin. More about the recent development of PPN and their accomplishments can be found here. A warm welcome to new Vice President Michael Burroughs (CSU-Bakersfield), Secretary Clair Morrissey (Occidental College), and Treasurer Nathan Nobis (Morehouse College). Nancy, Ian, and Todd will be joining the Governing Board, as will Helen De Cruz (St. Louis University). Terms begin Sept. 1, 2020.
The Public Philosophy Network has a Youtube channel. Please subscribe!
In April, we held a livestreamed workshop on “How to Write Philosophy Op-Eds,” now available for viewing on Youtube. This is an excellent opportunity to hear expert writing advice from David Johnson, Jason Stanley, Olivia Goldhill, Lee McIntyre, Regina Rini, and John Macready. They share information and suggestions for generating ideas, approaching editors, making use of the news cycle, and writing for public, rather than academic, audiences.
In May, PPN has started a series of “Short Talks,” each 10-15 minutes on topics of general philosophical interest.
#1: Megan Dean (Hamilton College), “Why It Matters How We Eat”
#2: Jennifer Scuro (College of New Rochelle), “Helpfulness and Helplessness in the Time of COVID-19”
Please join PPN at the Central APA in Chicago on Sat., February 29, from 2 - 5pm for a panel on:
Should Philosophers Be Advocates?
Chair:
Ben Almassi (Governors State University)
Speakers:
Evelyn Brister (Rochester Institute of Technology), "Partisans, Enablers, and Honest Brokers: Activism and Credibility”
Eugene Chislenko (Temple University), ”The Role of Philosophers in Climate Change”
Ben Almassi (Governors State University), “Advocacy in Reparative Justice”
Taylor Ann Rogers (Northwestern University), “Epistemic Resilience, Emotional Numbess, and Why Public Philosophy Matters”
The APA and PPN are co-sponsoring a series of Ask a Philosopher booths, to run throughout the Eastern APA conference. (If you've never been to a booth: a few philosophers hang out and talk with passersby about their philosophical questions. It's a great opportunity to do some public philosophy, and to meet some likeminded philosophers while you're at it.)
It's at Suburban Station (16th St. and JFK), a few blocks from the conference center. Here's the schedule:
January 8th, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
January 9th, 10:00 AM to noon
January 10th, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
January 11th, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Please email ianolasov@gmail.com if you would like to participate for an hour or two. And please drop by even if you can’t work the booth!
PPN will soon have its very first Group Session at an APA meeting! It will be held on Thursday, January 9th from 12:15 to 2:15 at the APA Meeting in Philadelphia. The session is on "Philosophical Progress through Public Philosophy."
Ian Olasov (CUNY), “Public Philosophy and Philosophical Progress”
Cristina Cammarano (Salisbury University), “Becoming a Better Thinker, Teacher, and Writer: Thoughts from the Tenure Track on How Philosophy for/with Children Improves Me as a Philosopher"
Thi Nguyen (Utah Valley University), “Seductions of Clarity”
The Public Philosophy Network is joining with Philosophers for Sustainability, The Thinking Space (UK) and The Philosophy Club (Australia) to hold a community discussion forum by Zoom video conference on Tuesday, December 10, 1-2:30pm East Coast USA and Canada. This will be a great opportunity for members of all three groups to meet each other and think together about how public philosophy can effectively respond to climate change. The forum will begin with brief opening remarks by Grace Lockrobin of The Thinking Space, Evelyn Brister of the Public Philosophy Network, and Andrew Light, former senior State Department climate negotiator, joining us from COP25 in Madrid, followed by open discussion moderated by Rebecca Millsop of Philosophers for Sustainability, with Eugene Chislenko of Philosophers for Sustainability co-organizing the forum.
To obtain the Zoom call-in link, email Evelyn Brister, elbgsl@rit.edu.
The Forum will be by video conference using Zoom. You can join from your computer or smartphone, or if you prefer, by audio only using your computer or any phone. You do not need a Zoom account to join the Forum, but you will need to download the free Zoom application for your computer or smartphone to use video.
In 2020, the Public Philosophy Network will host affiliated group sessions at all 3 APA meetings for the first time ever.
Here’s the lineup!
2020 Eastern Division APA Meeting in Philadelphia, PA
Philosophical Progress Through Public Philosophy
Ian Olasov (CUNY): ”Public Philosophy and Philosophical Progress”
Christina Cammarano (Salisbury University): "Becoming a Better Thinker, Teacher, and Writer: Thoughts from the Tenure Track on How Philosophy for/with Children Improves Me as a Philosopher”
Thi Nguyen (Utah Valley University): "Seductions of Clarity”
2020 Central Division APA Meeting in Chicago, IL on Sat., Feb. 29, 2-5pm
Should Philosophers Be Advocates?
Evelyn Brister (Rochester Institute of Technology) “Partisans, Enablers, and Honest Brokers: Activism and Credibility”
Eugene Chislenko (Temple University): "The Role of Philosophers in Climate Change”
Ben Almassi (Governors State University), “Advocacy in Reparative Justice”
Taylor Ann Rogers (Northwestern University), “Epistemic Resilience, Emotional Numbess, and Why Public Philosophy Matters”
2020 Pacific Division APA Meeting in San Francisco, CA on Thurs., April 9, 8-10pm
Political Representation
Moderator: Ronald R. Sundstrom (University of San Francisco)
Speakers:
Wendy Salkin (Stanford University)
Liam Kofi Bright (London School of Economics)
Linda Martín Alcoff (Hunter College)
Alisa Bierria (University of California, Riverside)
Please visit the series of interviews the marvelous folks at Engaged Philosophy are doing with members of the Public Philosophy Network. Engaged Philosophy is a website that presents resources and strategies for creating civic engagement in philosophy classrooms. A brand new interview will be posted every week or so right up until our conference at Michigan State University in October.
Nancy McHugh, Todd Franklin, Ian Olasov, and Evelyn Brister, officers of PPN, give the first interview—all about what public philosophy is and the good things that PPN has been up to and has planned for the near future.