A propos yesterday's post and poll, we've now had almost 500 votes regarding the recent APA financial awards, and here are the results:
What is your opinion of how the APA is awarding financial support to philosophy-related projects and programs?
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So 22% were pleased, at least in some measure, with the awards, while 61% were displeased, at least in some measure, with the allocation. Of course, the more significant question is why those who voted responded as they did. As a philosopher elsewhere wrote to me while the poll was going on:
Given how the results of the poll are going, it may be interesting to ask why people are not happy with how the money is being awarded. My assumption would be that 7/9 of the projects, if not 8/9 or 9/9 depending on why they supported the comedy conference and non-academic jobs database, are pretty firmly situated within the realm of identity politics and "advances the discipline of philosophy" in a very narrow way (and in the same narrow way).
That's a plausible suggestion, and it may be that those who voted favorably think that "diversity and inclusion" are the primary issues the APA needs to be addressing right now. In any case, it would be good to hear from readers who voted favorably and unfavorably about their reasons.