Recently Published Book Spotlight: Why Plato Matters Now
Angie Hobbs, Professor Emerita of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at Sheffield, has released *Why Plato Matters Now* (Bloomsbury, 2025). The book examines each of Plato’s core dialogues through the lens of pressing modern issues such as democracy, flourishing, education, and resilience. Hobbs draws on her extensive media presence—including 27 appearances on BBC’s *In Our Time* and talks at the World Economic Forum—to make ancient philosophy accessible to policymakers and the public. By pairing Platonic concepts with contemporary case studies, she demonstrates how the ancient thinker can inform today’s ethical and political challenges.
Why We Should Be Reading Paul Churchland Right Now: Neurophilosophy and AI
The article argues that philosopher Paul Churchland’s neurophilosophical work, especially his ideas about high‑dimensional vector spaces and conceptual maps in artificial neural networks, is essential reading for anyone trying to understand today’s large language models (LLMs). Churchland, a naturalistic thinker...
When Jokes Won’t Do: Affective Shifts in U.S. Late-Night Comedy
Researchers identify “affective shifts” as a rhetorical tool where U.S. late‑night hosts pivot from humor to solemnity during crises. Analyzing 14,451 sentences from shows covering COVID‑19, George Floyd, and the Jan 6 riot, sentiment scores plunge sharply after tragedies and recover...
The Paradox of China’s Crypto Regulation and Capital Going Global (Part 2)
China’s crypto crackdown has not eliminated domestic capital but forced it offshore, where platforms like Binance, Huobi and OKCoin now serve a majority of international users. The regulatory “September 4th Ban” of 2017 and subsequent 2021 patching eliminated RMB on‑ramps...
What Do We Really Know About “Obesity”?
The article argues that pervasive anti‑fat bias—rooted in historical prejudice—distorts obesity research, clinical practice, and public policy. It highlights how the CDC’s 2005 study, which showed overweight individuals had lower mortality than normal‑weight peers, faced intense backlash despite robust methodology....
Should Men Be Ashamed of Their AI Girlfriends?
AI chatbots are increasingly used for romantic role‑play, with many men creating "AI girlfriends" that offer unconditional compliance. Critics argue this practice objectifies women, turning partners into controllable tools rather than mutual beings. The phenomenon reflects broader trends of rising...
On the Insufficiency of Current Gender Equality Policies in Academia and the Necessity of a Cultural Shift
Academic gender gaps remain stark: women occupy only 28% of professorships while representing 48% of PhD students across 900 EU and non‑EU institutions. The 2025 She Figures report shows a modest 7% rise in female board members since 2021, indicating...
What About Knowledge That No Longer Knows What It Is For?
The essay argues that today’s policy‑driven, metric‑obsessed management of science and higher education has turned these institutions into a fragile chimera, unable to sustain genuine knowledge creation. It contrasts this with the 19th‑century Humboldtian model, which granted autonomy, stable funding,...
Is the Household Obsolete? Charlotte Perkins Gilman on Economy, Androcentrism, and the Socialization of Care
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, best known for "The Yellow Wallpaper," was also a pioneering feminist economist who argued that women’s confinement to the home was a socially engineered, not natural, condition. In her 1898 essay "Women and Economics" she broadened the...
How to Deal with Online Virtue Signaling
The article examines the prevalence of online virtue signaling, from personal posts to corporate campaigns, and critiques both uncritical acceptance and aggressive condemnation. It highlights scholarly concerns that such signaling can dilute genuine moral discourse and serve self‑interest. To navigate...
APA Member Interview, Chloe W. Chang
Chloe W. Chang, a former business and fashion manager, has transitioned to a philosophy PhD candidate at San Jose State University. Her research explores existential questions in the digital age, especially how AI and social media reshape human temporality and...
Using the Absurd: How Erasmus Challenges His Students
Desiderius Erasmus leveraged absurd humor in his *Colloquies* to make Latin instruction more engaging and cognitively demanding. By embedding jokes that range from simple wordplay to complex non‑sequitur dialogues, he turned grammar drills into memorable narratives. The work evolved from...
Gratitude, Belonging, and Philosophy
An essay recounts the author’s journey from a military‑oriented upbringing in Northern Virginia to graduate studies in philosophy, highlighting how unexpected exposure to a student‑led philosophy club sparked a lifelong passion. The narrative weaves personal challenges—including the COVID‑19 pandemic, a...
The Risks of AI Recording Devices and Note-Taking Assistants in the Classroom
U.S. universities are witnessing a surge in AI‑driven note‑taking apps and smart‑glass recorders, tools that capture audio, video, and biometric data without clear consent. Platforms such as Otter.ai operate with opaque data‑retention policies, while devices like Meta’s smart glasses embed...
Let Kids Be Kids? The Ethics of Maximizing Children’s Talents
The article examines the growing trend of pushing children into intensive talent‑maximization programs, especially in sports, where training often exceeds 16 hours per week and begins as early as age two. It contrasts this with the intrinsic value of childhood—unstructured...