After more than 170 consecutive posts , I am taking a short break in order to enjoy a family holiday.
Out of the twenty most widely read Digressions, nineteen pertain to 'professional' issues and norms in academic philosophy (and university life more generally)). I am grateful for your trust, interest, and occasional commentary. I recognize that not allowing anonymous commenting has inhibited discussion--I regret this on some days of the week because it entails that fewer perspectives are represented in a shared, public discussion. I infer (perhaps mistakenly) that professional philosophy is less of an egalitarian republic of letters than I had hoped; and that in people's perceptions the risk of a price to pay by being associated with a particular position is too high for the gains to be had from commenting. But on other days of the week, I welcome the reduced stress from more gentle moderation of discussion.
I am especially grateful for the continued interest in my more focused, philosophical posts. When I left NewAPPS, I had hoped to be part of a breakthrough in doing philosophy on the web. But upon reflection I realized I lack technological savvy. The now familiar format of a daily post was decided in a moment of hubris. Along the way I have come to appreciate the achievements of Seneca, Montaigne, Bacon, and Addison amongst others that have showed the great possibilities of serial development of philosophy. In an age of ever increasing professionalization and specialization, I need these Impressions to revisit and revive the sources of joy and wonder that got me on the path to philosophical inquiry; I am pleased some of you share the road with me.
And what about the outlier, you ask? The twentieth is on blogging.
I return in early August.
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