USUPhilosophy

So much for the tenure system promoting a diversity of opinions.  This article cites studies that show that fewer than 4% of academics self-identify as “conservative”, and the number of science and humanities profs voting for George Bush in 2004 was “so small that it came to a statistical value of 0 percent.”  This while some 40% of Americans self-identify as “conservative”.

Shouldn’t we find this disturbing?  The article concludes, “It’s not good for America to have a major political party and important elite institutions dominated by people trained to ignore—or worse, sneer at—the conservative ways of thinking that motivate most Americans.”

From the RSC:

Mike Monson is our speaker today at 5:15, Old Main Rm 326. Everyone should come, it’s going to be amazing! Mike will be speaking on his conversion from Mormonism to Buddhism and briefly introducing the The Buddhist Church of America. Please bring your friends, you won’t want to miss this!

Austin Dacey, the author of the popular book The Secular Conscience: Why Belief Belongs in Public Life, as well as the former representative of the Center For Inquiry to the United Nations, will be coming to Salt Lake City to speak at the University of Utah on Feb. 27. The event will be from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Dacey will be speaking on his work on behalf of free speech and opposing anti-blasphemy laws at the UN. Dacey is a secularist philosopher who is well known among secularists as well as those who have been following religious liberty and free speech issues internationally. After Dacey’s talk, which will start at 4:00, there will be a short debate between Dacey and Mark Hausam on the question: Is Morality Possible Without God? Dacey’s talk will be entitled, “Blasphemy: Hate Speech or Human Right?” The event will take place in the Fine Arts Auditorium at the U.

USU SHAFT is organizing a carpool; details here.

Lots of giggles in France over the celebrity philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy and his recent book which cited a fictional author.  Hear about it here.

Click here for another in the endless line of Downfall parodies.  This time, Hitler learns that he was not accepted to a philosophy grad program.

My favorite is his dejected resignation at the end of the clip:

“Everything Betrand Russel said about the value of philosophy: freedom from the tryanny of custom and unbridled opportunities for true contemplation, it’s all a sham. … Philosophy won’t do anything but break you heart, crush your spirit, and make you an annoying person to be around at parties.  … Get me an application for Walmart.”