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Articles 1 - 30 of 159
Full-Text Articles in Philosophy
Reflections On Cover Songs: Replies To Polite, P.D. Magnus
Reflections On Cover Songs: Replies To Polite, P.D. Magnus
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Brandon Polite poses a number of interesting criticisms of my account of cover versions. Some I am happy to acknowledge and take on board, but with others I feel he goes too far. I take this chance to clarify and extend my account.
Generative Ai And Photographic Transparency, P.D. Magnus
Generative Ai And Photographic Transparency, P.D. Magnus
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
There is a history of thinking that photographs provide a special kind of access to the objects depicted in them, beyond the access that would be provided by a painting or drawing. What is included in the photograph does not depend on the photographer’s beliefs about what is in front of the camera. This feature leads Kendall Walton to argue that photographs literally allow us to see the objects which appear in them. Current generative algorithms produce images in response to users’ text prompts. Depending on the parameters, the output can resemble specific people or things which are named in …
Does Art Pluralism Lead To Eliminativism?, P.D. Magnus, Christy Mag Uidhir
Does Art Pluralism Lead To Eliminativism?, P.D. Magnus, Christy Mag Uidhir
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Art pluralism is the view that there is no single, correct account of what art is. Instead, art is understood through a plurality of art concepts and with considerations that are different for particular arts. Although avowed pluralists have retained the word “art” in their discussions, it is natural to ask whether the considerations that motivate pluralism should lead us to abandon art talk altogether; that is, should pluralism lead to eliminativism? This paper addresses arguments both for and against this move. We ultimately argue that pluralism allows one to retain the word “art”, if one wants it, but only …
The Social Identity Affordance View: A Theory Of Social Identities, Alejandro Arango, Adam Burgos
The Social Identity Affordance View: A Theory Of Social Identities, Alejandro Arango, Adam Burgos
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
This article proposes that social identities are best understood as a kind of affordance, a “social identity affordance.” Social identity affordances are possibilities for action and interaction between persons, within a social niche, based on perceived and self-perceived social group identification. First, the view presented captures and articulates the basic structure of social identities. Second, it explains the multifaceted interplay of such an item in the social field, including not only the complexity of the interpersonal dimensions, but also the multiplicity of registers in which social identities vibrate (ethical, political, psychological, geographical, affective, epistemic). Third, by doing good on (i) …
Early Response To False Claims In Wikipedia, 15 Years Later, P.D. Magnus
Early Response To False Claims In Wikipedia, 15 Years Later, P.D. Magnus
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Fifteen years ago, I conducted a small study testing the error-correction tendency of Wikipedia. Not only is Wikipedia different now than it was then, the community that maintains it is different. Despite the crudity of that study’s methods, it is natural to wonder what the result would be now. So I repeated the earlier study and found surprisingly similar results.
Scurvy And The Ontology Of Natural Kinds, P.D. Magnus
Scurvy And The Ontology Of Natural Kinds, P.D. Magnus
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Some philosophers understand natural kinds to be the categories which are constraints on enquiry. In order to elaborate the metaphysics appropriate to such an account, I consider the complicated history of scurvy, citrus, and vitamin C. It may be tempting to understand these categories in a shallow way (as mere property clusters) or in a deep way (as fundamental properties). Neither approach is adequate, and the case instead calls for middle-range ontology: starting from categories which we identify in the world and elaborating their structure, but not pretending to jump ahead to a complete story about fundamental being.
Ignorance And Cultural Diversity: The Ethical Obligations Of The Behavior Analyst, Alejandro Arango
Ignorance And Cultural Diversity: The Ethical Obligations Of The Behavior Analyst, Alejandro Arango
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has featured an increasing concern for understanding and considering the cultural diversity of the populations behavior analysts serve in recent years. As an expression of that concern, the new BACB’s Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts is more explicit and comprehensive in its inclusion of ethical obligations concerning cultural diversity. The purpose of this paper is to offer a discussion on the limitations of both our capacity and willingness to know and overcome our ignorance about our own and other cultures. We examine different ways in which our ignorance of other cultures plays out even in willful …
Convergence And Shared Reflective Equilibrium, Bert Baumgaertner, Charles Lassiter
Convergence And Shared Reflective Equilibrium, Bert Baumgaertner, Charles Lassiter
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
We build a model of the reflective equilibrium method to better understand under what conditions a community of agents would achieve a shared equilibrium. We find that, despite guaranteeing that agents individually reach equilibrium and numerous constraints on how agents deliberate, it is surprisingly difficult for a community to converge on a small number of equilibria. Consequently, the literature on reflective equilibrium has underestimated the challenge of coordinating intrapersonal convergence and interpersonal convergence.
Appreciating Covers, Cristyn Magnus, P.D. Magnus, Christy Mag Uidhir, Ron Mcclamrock
Appreciating Covers, Cristyn Magnus, P.D. Magnus, Christy Mag Uidhir, Ron Mcclamrock
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
A recording or performance of a song is a cover if there is an earlier, canonical recording of the song. It can seem intuitive to think that properly appreciating the cover requires considering it in relation to the original, or at least that doing so will yield a deeper appreciation. This intuition is supported by some philosophical accounts of covers. And it is complicated by the possibility of hearing in, whereby one hears elements of the original version in the cover. We argue that it can nevertheless be just as legitimate to consider a cover version on its own …
The Scope Of Inductive Risk, P.D. Magnus
The Scope Of Inductive Risk, P.D. Magnus
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
The Argument from Inductive Risk (AIR) is taken to show that values are inevitably involved in making judgements or forming beliefs. After reviewing this conclusion, I pose cases which are prima facie counterexamples: the unreflective application of conventions, use of black-boxed instruments, reliance on opaque algorithms, and unskilled observation reports. These cases are counterexamples to the AIR posed in ethical terms as a matter of personal values. Nevertheless, it need not be understood in those terms. The values which load a theory choice may be those of institutions or past actors. This means that the challenge of responsibly handling inductive …
Art Concept Pluralism Undermines The Definitional Project, P.D. Magnus, Christy Mag Uidhir
Art Concept Pluralism Undermines The Definitional Project, P.D. Magnus, Christy Mag Uidhir
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
This discussion note addresses Caleb Hazelwood’s ‘Practice-Centered Pluralism and a Disjunctive Theory of Art.’ Hazelwood advances a disjunctive definition of art on the basis of an analogy with species concept pluralism in the philosophy of biology. We recognize the analogy between species and art, we applaud attention to practice, and we are bullish on pluralism— but it is a mistake to take these as the basis for a disjunctive definition.
Thinking, Faster And Slower: Toward A Dynamic View Of Organizational Cognition, Joseph Vukov, Charles Lassiter
Thinking, Faster And Slower: Toward A Dynamic View Of Organizational Cognition, Joseph Vukov, Charles Lassiter
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Our abilities as humans—i.e. our powers—aren’t always stable across contexts. In particular, sociocultural contexts can amplify or dampen manifestations of our powers. In particular, the same sociocultural intervention can catalyze a manifestation for one sort of individual and inhibit it for another. We develop these insights within the conceptual framework of causal powers realism: An ontological theory built on the idea that causal influences and processes should ultimately be understood as the manifestation of powers. Developing capacities’ dynamism in this framework enables articulation of novel insights. First, that our psychological capacities are context-sensitive and dynamic all the way down. Second, …
Empowering Biosemiotics, Charles Lassiter
Empowering Biosemiotics, Charles Lassiter
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
One way to understand the basic semiotic relation is that a sign-vehicle signifies an object to an interpretant. Biosemioticians sometimes talk about this relationship in terms of “codes”. When thinking about this relationship in the context of language, a natural move is to conceptualize semiotic relationships among speakers, meanings, and utterances as codes: speakers encode messages in sentences, which are then decoded by an interpreter. This view of communication is inconsistent with core tenets of a distributed approach to language, which holds that language is an embodied and encultured activity taking place across multiple timescales. I argue that a neo-Aristotelian …
Called By Beauty: Paul Ricoeur’S (Late) Liturgical Turn, Daniel O'Dea Bradley
Called By Beauty: Paul Ricoeur’S (Late) Liturgical Turn, Daniel O'Dea Bradley
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
We are now witnessing a great renewal of philosophical interest in the material aspects of religiosity. In this article I show that we have resources for this work in the very late philosophy of Paul Ricoeur, resources that are equally unexpected and deeply moving. In particular, in Ricoeur’s late turn we see the promising beginnings of a sacramental philosophy that links Baptism and the Song of Songs to show how liturgical practice is fundamentally tied to the beauty and sacredness of the natural world. The result is the realization that an ethics of hope is only truly completed in a …
Re-Envisioning The Philosophy Classroom Through Metaphors, Alejandro Arango, Maria Howard
Re-Envisioning The Philosophy Classroom Through Metaphors, Alejandro Arango, Maria Howard
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
What is a philosophy class like? What roles do teachers and students play? Questions like these have been answered time and again by philosophers using images and metaphors. As philosophers continue to develop pedagogical approaches in a more conscious way, it is worth evaluating traditional metaphors used to understand and structure philosophy classes. In this article, we examine two common metaphors—the sage on the stage, and philosophy as combat—and show why they fail pedagogically. Then we propose five metaphors—teaching philosophy as world-traveling, wondering, conducting an orchestra, storytelling, and coaching—that can better respond to the needs of increasingly diverse student bodies. …
Inductive Risk, Science, And Values: A Reply To Macgillivray, Daniel J. Hicks, P.D. Magnus, Jessey Wright
Inductive Risk, Science, And Values: A Reply To Macgillivray, Daniel J. Hicks, P.D. Magnus, Jessey Wright
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
The Argument from Inductive Risk (AIR) is perhaps the most common argument against the value-free ideal of science. Brian MacGillivray (2019) rejects the AIR (at least as it would apply to risk assessment) and embraces the value-free ideal. We clarify the issues at stake and argue that MacGillivray’s criticisms, although effective against some formulations of the AIR, fail to overcome the essential concerns which motivate the AIR. There are inevitable tradeoffs in scientific enquiry which cannot be resolved with any formal methods or general rules. Choices must be made, and values will be involved. It is best to recognize this …
Snowfall Impact Study For Spokane, Washington, Brian G. Henning, Levi Keesecker, David Camp, Erik Budsberg
Snowfall Impact Study For Spokane, Washington, Brian G. Henning, Levi Keesecker, David Camp, Erik Budsberg
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Examines historical trends in snowfall for the Spokane region, future climate projections and mountain snow forecasts, and determines what these data suggests about the future of winter recreation at Spokane’s five-area ski resorts (Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort, Silver Mountain Resort, Schweitzer Mountain Resort, and Lookout Pass Ski Area).
Reply To Joshua Mugg’S ‘How Not To Reply To The Tragic Dilemma', Charles Lassiter
Reply To Joshua Mugg’S ‘How Not To Reply To The Tragic Dilemma', Charles Lassiter
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Social Justice And Liturgical Practice: Engaging The Earth/ Cultivating Solidarity, Daniel O'Dea Bradley
Social Justice And Liturgical Practice: Engaging The Earth/ Cultivating Solidarity, Daniel O'Dea Bradley
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
In North America, across the political spectrum, we have a strong tendency to reduce religion to nothing more than a tool to promote our own socio-political views. Tis is a natural consequence of our hyper-polarized culture and our impoverished view of “religion.” It is also, however, a problem—particularly for those inspired by the call to renewal through an integration of the quest for social justice and the pursuit of the spiritual life. By focusing on the value of participating in religious liturgy, I show how a renewed respect for religion can help the proponents of social justice fulfill some of …
Laudato Si, Marx, And A Human Motivation For Addressing Climate Change, Timothy A. Weidel
Laudato Si, Marx, And A Human Motivation For Addressing Climate Change, Timothy A. Weidel
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
In the face of climate change, moral motivation is central: why should individuals feel compelled to act to combat this problem? Justice-based responses miss two morally salient issues: that the key ethical relationship is between us and the environment, and there is something in it for us to act to aid our environment. In support of this thesis there are two seemingly disparate sources: Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si and the early Marx’s account of human essence as species-being. Francis argues we must see nature as an “other” with whom we have a relationship, rather than dominating nature. Marx considers …
Comparative Pride, Christopher Morgan-Knapp
Comparative Pride, Christopher Morgan-Knapp
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Comparative pride – that is, pride in how one compares to others in some respect – is often thought to be warranted. In this paper, I argue that this common position is mistaken. The paper begins with an analysis of how things seem when a person feels pride. Pride, I claim, presents some aspect of the self with which one identifies as being worthy. Moreover, in some cases, it presents this aspect of the self as something one is responsible for. I then go on to argue that when the focus of one’s pride is comparative, things are never as …
From Sensorimotor Dependencies To Perceptual Practices: Making Enactivism Social, Alejandro Arango
From Sensorimotor Dependencies To Perceptual Practices: Making Enactivism Social, Alejandro Arango
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Proponents of enactivism should be interested in exploring what notion of action best captures the type of action–perception link that the view proposes, such that it covers all the aspects in which our doings constitute and are constituted by our perceiving. This article proposes and defends the thesis that the notion of sensorimotor dependencies is insufficient to account for the reality of human perception and that the central enactive notion should be that of perceptual practices. Sensorimotor enactivism is insufficient because it has no traction on socially dependent perceptions (SDPs), which are essential to the role and significance of …
How To Be A Realist About Natural Kinds, P.D. Magnus
How To Be A Realist About Natural Kinds, P.D. Magnus
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Although some authors hold that natural kinds are necessarily relative to disciplinary domains, many authors presume that natural kinds must be absolute, categorical features of the reality— often assuming that without even mentioning the alternative. Recognizing both possibilities, one may ask whether the difference especially matters. I argue that it does. Looking at recent arguments about natural kind realism, I argue that we can best make sense of the realism question by thinking of natural kindness as a relation that holds between a category and a domain.
Science, Values, And The Priority Of Evidence, P.D. Magnus
Science, Values, And The Priority Of Evidence, P.D. Magnus
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
It is now commonly held that values play a role in scientific judgment, but many arguments for that conclusion are limited. First, many arguments do not show that values are, strictly speaking, indispensable. The role of values could in principle be filled by a random or arbitrary decision. Second, many arguments concern scientific theories and concepts which have obvious practical consequences, thus suggesting or at least leaving open the possibility that abstruse sciences without such a connection could be value-free. Third, many arguments concern the role values play in inferring from evidence, thus taking evidence as given. This paper argues …
Cautious Realism And Middle Range Ontology, P.D. Magnus
Cautious Realism And Middle Range Ontology, P.D. Magnus
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Anjan Chakravartty's book Scientific Ontology is centrally about how metaphysics is embrangled with epistemology. I begin by discussing the broader literature in science and values, where arguments akin to Chakravartty's have been much-discussed. Then I talk about my own preferred approach, middle range ontology, which does not fit neatly into any of the three stances Chakravartty discusses. Finally, I use these considerations to pose a dilemma.
That Some Of Sol Lewitt’S Later Wall Drawings Aren’T Wall Drawings, P.D. Magnus
That Some Of Sol Lewitt’S Later Wall Drawings Aren’T Wall Drawings, P.D. Magnus
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
No abstract provided.
What Kind Of Is-Ought Gap Is There And What Kind Ought There Be?, P.D. Magnus, Jon Mandle
What Kind Of Is-Ought Gap Is There And What Kind Ought There Be?, P.D. Magnus, Jon Mandle
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
Some philosophers think that there is a gap between is and ought which necessarily makes normative enquiry a different kind of thing than empirical science. This position gains support from our ability to explicate our inferential practices in a way that makes it impermissible to move from descriptive premises to a normative conclusion. But we can also explicate them in a way that allows such moves. So there is no categorical answer as to whether there is or is not a gap. The question of an is-ought gap is a practical and strategic matter rather than a logical one, and …
Natural Philosophy, Geometry, And Deduction In The Hobbes-Boyle Debate, Marcus P. Adams
Natural Philosophy, Geometry, And Deduction In The Hobbes-Boyle Debate, Marcus P. Adams
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
This paper examines Hobbes’s criticisms of Robert Boyle’s air-pump experiments in light of Hobbes’s account in De Corpore and De Homine of the relationship of natural philosophy to geometry. I argue that Hobbes’s criticisms rely upon his understanding of what counts as “true physics.” Instead of seeing Hobbes as defending natural philosophy as “a causal enterprise ... [that] as such, secured total and irrevocable assent,”2 I argue that, in his disagreement with Boyle, Hobbes relied upon his understanding of natural philosophy as a mixed mathematical science. In a mixed mathematical science one can mix facts from experience (the ‘that’) with …
The Platonic Hero, Danielle A. Layne
The Platonic Hero, Danielle A. Layne
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Introduction, John Dillon, David D. Butorac, Danielle A. Layne
Introduction, John Dillon, David D. Butorac, Danielle A. Layne
Philosophy Faculty Scholarship
The introduction to Proclus and His Legacy, a volume which investigates Proclus' own thought and his wide-ranging influence within late Neoplatonic, Alexandrine and Byzantinian philosophy and theology. It further explores how Procline metaphysics and doctrines of causality influence and transition into Arabic and Islamic thought, up until Richard Hooker in England, Spinoza in Holland and Pico in Italy. John Dillon provides a helpful overview of Proclus' thought, Harold Tarrant discusses Proclus' influence within Alexandrian philosophy and Tzvi Langermann presents ground breaking work on the Jewish reception of Proclus, focusing on the work of Joseph Solomon Delmedigo (1591-1655), while Stephen …