Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog

Lateral moves/retirements since the 2021 Philosophical Gourmet Report: 2024 edition

In addition to the separate posts announcing (generally tenured) faculty moves, I will keep a running list of all lateral moves (and retirements and deaths) not reflected in the faculty lists for the last PGR (some moves that took place after the last PGR were reflected in the faculty list, because the editors knew of them).  I will start a new list for each academic year, so that the list does not get unwieldy.  (The 2022 list is here, with a couple of late additions in bold, and the 2023 list is here.)  Unless otherwise noted, the appointment (or retirement) takes effect in 2024.  I will move this to the front periodically, putting recent additions in bold.  Untenured lateral moves will be noted as such, otherwise the move is with tenure.  A lateral move is one from one tenure-stream position to another either into or out of a program offering the PhD or terminal MA.  In addition I will list retirements and also deaths of non-emeritus faculty.  Please e-mail me with additions or corrections.

*Gwen Bradford (ethics) from Rice University to the University of Toronto.

*Monima Chadha (Indian philosophy) from Monash University to Oxford University.

*Lu Chen (philosophy of mathematics & physics, metaphysics, philosophical logic) from Koç University (Turkey) to the University of Southern California (effective January 2024) (untenured lateral).

*Edward Elliott (philosophy of mind, decision theory) from the University of Leeds to the University of Notre Dame.

*Samuel Fletcher (philosophy of science, philosophy of physics) from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul to Oxford University.

*Warren Goldfarb (logic, history of analytic philosophy, Wittgenstein) will retire from Harvard University at the end of calendar year 2024.

*Simon Goldstein (philosophy of language, epistemology, AI safety) from the Dianoia Institute/Australican Catholic University to the University of Hong Kong (effective January 2024).

*Robert Gooding-Williams (social-political philosophy, philosophy of race, 19th- and 20th-century Continental philosophy) from Columbia University to Yale University.

*Jeremy Goodman (metaphysics, epistemology, philosophical logic) from the University of Southern California to Johns Hopkins University (effective January 2024).

*E.J. Green (philosophy of mind & cognitive science) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology to Johns Hopkins University (effective January 2024).

*Jessica Isserow (metaethics, ethics, moral psychology) from the University of Leeds to the University of Notre Dame.

*Simon Kirchin (ethics, metaethics) from the University of Kent to the University of Leeds (effective January 2024).

Peter Momtchiloff, legenday OUP philosophy editor, leaving OUP after 30 years

I was both surprised and saddened to learn that Peter M., the Oxford-based philosophy editor for OUP who has made OUP the indispensable philosophy catalogue during his tenure, will be leaving OUP December 15 after thirty years of working with the press.  Like many others, I can attest to the great value of Peter's support, judgment, and well-timed encouragement.  About a quarter-century ago, he invited me to edit the Oxford Handbook of Continental Philosophy, and then agreed when I wanted to ask Michael Rosen to work with me on it. He has kindly supported several Nietzsche projects of mine over the years, and he has made sure that OUP has the strongest catalogue of Nietzsche monographs over the last several decades (including, e.g., important books by John Richardson, Christopher Janaway, and, most recently, Mattia Riccardi).  OUP in Oxford is now searching for his replacement.  (Peter Ohlin, as far as I know, is continuing as the editor of OUP's New York office, and he is also well-known to academic philosophers, so there will be some continuity at the press.)

In Memoriam: Mark Rollins (1947-2023)

A longtime member of the Department of Philosophy (and the Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Program) at Washington University, St. Louis, where he was emeritus, he was also an important Chair of the Department.  His philosophical work was in aesthetics and philosophy of cognitive science, and often their intersection.   The Wash U memorial notice is here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Rollins or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

(Thanks to Ron Mallon for the pointer.)

In Memoriam: Shlomo Avineri (1933-2023)

A longtime faculty member (in political science) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Professor Avineri was best-known among philosophers for his work on Hegel and on Marx.   The Haaretz obituary testifies to his importance as a public figure and intellectual in Israel.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Avineri, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

(Thanks to David Gordon for the pointer.)

Goldstein from Dianoia/ACU to Hong Kong

Simon Goldstein (philosophy of language, epistemology, AI safety), currently Associate Professor of Philosophy at the soon-to-be-disbanded Dianoia Institute at the Australian Catholic University, has accepted appointment as Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong, effective January 2024.

(Thanks to Justin Tiwald for the information.)

In Memoriam: Jeroen Groenendijk (1949-2023)

A longtime member of the faculty at the Univeristy of Amsterdam, where he also did his degrees, Professor Groenenduk was especially well-known for the application of logical methods in the semantics and pragmatics of natural language in works that were of great interest to linguistis and philosophers of language.  The Amsterdam memorial notice is here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Groenendijk, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

In Memoriam: David Gauthier (1932-2023)

MOVING TO FRONT FROM NOVEMBER 12--UPDATED

Via his former student Claire Finkelstein on Twitter, I learned that Professor Gauthier died on November 9.   He was emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh, whose department he joined in 1980 after more than twenty years at the University of Toronto.  He was well-known for his contributions to political and moral philosophy, and its history (especially Hobbes and Rousseau).   You can learn a bit more about his work here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Gauthier, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.  Please feel free to submit links in the comments to obituaries and memorial notices as well.

UPDATE:   A memorial notice from the University of Toronto, and another from the University of Pittsburgh.

Russell from Dianoia/ACU to the ANU

Gillian Russell (logic, philosophy of language & logic), Professor of Philosophy at the soon-to-be disbanded Dianoia Institute of Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University, has accepted appointment as Professor of Philosophy in the School of Philosophy at the Australian National University, effective July 2024.  Despite the best efforts of the benighted ACU Vice-Chancellor, Australian philosophy will at least retain her presence in their distinguished philosophical community!

In Memoriam: Enrique Dussel (1934-2023)

One of the best-known philosophers in the Spanish-speaking world, Professor Dussel was born and spent part of his career in Argentina, before fleeing the military dictatorship there, and spending the remainder of his life in Mexico, where he taught, among other places, at UNAM.   There is an obituary (in Spanish) from a leading Mexican weekly here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Dussel, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his wide-ranging work.

(Thanks to Sergio Gallegos for the pointer.)

Moreau from Toronto to NYU

Sophia Moreau (moral, political & legal philosophy), Professor of Law and Philosophy at the University of Toronto, has accepted a senior offer from the law school at New York University.  That's a big loss for Toronto, and certainly helps solidify NYU Law's status as a leading center for philosophy, especially normative jurisprudence.

In Memoriam: Hans Albert (1921-2023)

A German philosopher of science, and social science, Professor Albert was a philosophical ally of Karl Popper, and defender of "critical rationalism," perhaps best-known for his role in the "positivism" debate in German philosophy in the 1960s.   He spent most of his career at the University of Mannheim.  There is an obituary in German here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Albert or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

(Thanks to David Gordon for the pointer.)

 

Bradford from Rice to Toronto

Gwen Bradford (ethics), Associate Professor of Philosophy at Rice University, has accepted a tenured appointment as Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto, effective July 2024.   Rice, as we have noted before, really has a singular eye for hiring and developing top junior talent, which makes them a frequent target for raids by higher ranked departments.

Two more tenured hires for Johns Hopkins: Goodman from USC, Green from MIT

They are:   Jeremy Goodman (metaphysics, epistemology, philosophical logic), previously Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California; and E.J. Green (philosophy of mind & cognitive science), previously Associate Professor of Philosophy at MIT.   Green will also have an appointment in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (effective January 2024).

(There is at third hire with tenure pending, that I hope to be able to announce some time this fall.)

In Memoriam: David Burrell, C.S.C. (1933-2023)

A longtime member of the faculties of philosophy and theology at the University of Notre Dame, where he was emeritus, Professor Burrell was a leading expert on medieval philosophical theology in the Catholic, Jewish, and Islamic traditions.  There is an obituary here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Burrell, or for those who want to comment on the significance of his work.

In Memoriam: Paul Woodruff (1943-2023)

MOVING TO FRONT FROM SEPTEMBER 25--SOME VERY NICE REMEMBRANCES OF PAUL IN THE COMMENTS, MORE WELCOME

A longtime faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was only recently emeritus, Professor Woodruff was best-known for his work on Greek philosophy (especially Socrates, the Sophists and Thucydides), and the philosophy of theater.  There is an informative obituary here, and you can read about his final, forthcoming book here. (Thanks to Curtis Sparrer for the pointers.)

Professor Woodruff wrote about his illness, and about life, here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Woodruff or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

In Memoriam: Gianni Vattimo (1936-2023)

A longtime professor at the University of Turin, where he was emeritus, Professor Vattimo was a leading exponent and defender of "postmodern" philosophy in Italy and in Europe, although somewhat less-known in the Anglosphere.  There is an obituary in Italian here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Vattimo, or from those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

(Thanks to Mattia Riccardi for the pointer.)

In Memoriam: Michael Scriven (1928-2023)

Professor Scriven had an eclectic career that ranged widely in both topics and institutions.  He wrote well-known papers on the philosophy of scientific explanation (including famous counter-examples to Hempel's covering law model of explanation), and later became a prominent figure in philosophy of education with his work on "evaluation."   He taught during his long career at Berkeley, Indiana/Bloomington, Western Michigan University, Western Australia, and finally at the Claremont Graduate School, where he was emeritus.  The CGS memorial notice is here and from the American Educational Research Association here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Scriven, or for those who would like to comment on the significance of his work.

ADDENDUM:  There's a charming anecdote about meeting Scriven from Bas van Fraassen here.

Two senior hires for Oxford University: Chadha from Monash, Fletcher from Minnesota

Monima Chadha, currently at Monash University, will become Professor of Indian Philosophy at Lady Margaret Hall (effective April 1, 2024); and Samuel Fletcher, currently at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul, will become Professor of Philosophy of Physics at Merton College (effective September 1, 2024).

In Memoriam: Stephen Gaukroger (1950-2023)

Emeritus at the University of Sydney, Professor Gaukgroger was a leading scholar of early modern philosophy and science.  His Google Scholar page gives a good sense of the range of his work and erudition.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Gaukroger or for those who would like to comment on the significance of his work.  Please submit your comment only once, it may take awhile to appear.

Fraser from Toronto back to Hong Kong

Chris Fraser, an expert in Chinese philosophy, who moved to the University of Toronto from the University of Hong Kong in 2021, has, according to his homepage, returned to Hong Kong "initially as Vice-Chancellor Visiting Professor" of philosophy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

In Memoriam: Jennifer A. McMahon (1956-2023) (UPDATED)

MOVING TO FRONT FROM JUNE 20--UPDATED AND CORRECTED

Best-known for her work in aesthetics and on Kant, Professor McMahon was emerita at the University of Adelaide, where she spent her academic career.   Comments are open for remembrances from colleagues who knew Professor McMahon, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of her work.  Please feel free to add links as well to memorial notices and obituaries.

(Thanks to Mohan Matthen for the information.)

UPDATE:  My thanks to Dr. Brendan Ryan for permission to share this obituary:  Download Jenny's obituary in The Age (advertising removed)

ANOTHER:  The ASA Newsletter for summer 2023 has several memorial essays for Professor McMahon, from Cynthia Freeland, Paul Guyer, Mohan Matthen, and others.

In Memoriam: Harry G. Frankfurt (1929-2023)

Professor Frankfurt, who was emeritus at Princeton University, also taught for many years at Yale University and, before that, at Rockefeller University and Ohio State University.  Early in his career, he wrote an influential book on Descartes, but was of course best-known in philosophy for seminal papers on free will.   The NYT obituary is here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Frankfurt or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.  Please submit your comment only once, they may take awhile to appear.

In Memoriam: Douglas C. Long (1932-2023)

Professor Long, who wrote widely in philosophy of mind, epistemology, and metaphysics (see here), was emeritus at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he taught for nearly 40 years.  An obituary is here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Long or for those who want to comment on the significance of his work.

(Thanks to Matt Kotzen for the information.)

Lateral moves/retirements (etc.) since the 2021 Philosophical Gourmet Report: 2023 edition

In addition to the separate posts announcing (generally tenured) faculty moves, I will keep a running list of all lateral moves (and retirements and deaths) not reflected in the faculty lists for the last PGR (some moves that took place after the last PGR were reflected in the faculty list, because the editors knew of them).  I will start a new list for each academic year, so that the list does not get unwieldy.  (The 2022 list is here, with a couple of late additions in bold.)  Unless otherwise noted, the appointment (or retirement) takes effect in 2023.  I will move this to the front periodically, putting recent additions in bold.  Untenured lateral moves will be noted as such, otherwise the move is with tenure.  A lateral move is one from one tenure-stream position to another either into or out of a program offering the PhD or terminal MA.  In addition I will list retirements and also deaths of non-emeritus faculty.  Please e-mail me with additions or corrections.

*Colin Allen (philosophy of mind, cognitive science, & biology) from the University of Pittsburgh to the University of California, Santa Barbara.

*Richard J. Arneson (political philosophy) is retiring from the University of California, San Diego at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

*Zach Barnett (ethics, epistemology) from the National University of Singapore to the University of Notre Dame (untenured lateral).

*William Bechtel (philosophy of cognitive science and neuroscience) is retiring from the University of California, San Diego at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

*Juliana Bidadanure (political philosophy) from Stanford University to New York University.

*Martha Bolton (early modern philosophy) will retire from Rutgers University, New Brunswick in July 2023.

*Robert Bolton (ancient philosophy) will retire from Rutgers University, New Brunswick in July 2023.

*Pascal Brixel (social & political philosophy, ethics, Marx & Marxism) from Clemson University to Northwestern University (untenured lateral).

*Brookes Brown (social & political philosophy) from Clemson University to the University of Toronto (untenured lateral).

*Justin Bruner (social & political philosophy, PPE) from University of Arizona (Political Economy & Moral Sciences) to the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

*John Carriero (early modern philosophy) retired from the University of California, Los Angeles at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.  (He will, however, be teaching one course per year at the University of California, Berkeley for the foreseeable future, and is available to serve on dissertation committees there.)

*Lu Chen (philosophy of mathematics & physics, metaphysics, philosophical logic) from Koç University (Turkey) to the University of Southern California (effective January 2024) (untenured lateral).

*Alix Cohen (Kant) from the University of Edinburgh to the University of Notre Dame.

*Patrick Connolly (early modern philosophy and science) from Lehigh University (untenured) and University of Wisconsin, Madison (visiting) to Johns Hopkins University (effective January 2023).

*Ann Cudd (feminist philosophy, social & political philosophy) from University of Pittsburgh (where she is Provost) to Portland State University (to become President).

*Stephen Daniel (early modern philosophy) is retiring from Texas A&M University in June 2023.

*Stewart Duncan (early modern philosophy) from the University of Florida, Gainesville to the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

*Kenny Easwaran (formal epistemology, epistemology, logic, philosophy of mathematics) from Texas A&M University to the University of California, Irvine.

*William Edmundson (political, legal, & moral philosophy) retired from Georgia State University in December 2022.

*Edward Elliott (philosophy of mind, decision theory) from the University of Leeds to the University of Notre Dame (effective fall 2024).

*David Enoch (moral, political & legal philosophy) from Hebrew University, Jerusalem to Oxford University.

*Salvatore Florio (philosophy of language & mathematics, philosophical logic) from the University of Birmingham to the University of Oslo.

*Chris Fraser (Chinese philosophy) from the University of Toronto to the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

*Rachel Fraser (philosophy of language, epistemology, feminist philosophy) from Oxford University to the Dianoia Institute, Australian Catholic University.

*Stacie Friend (aesthetics, philosophy of language & mind) from Birkbeck College, University of London to the University of Edinburgh.

*Michael Garnett (social & political philosophy, ethics, philosophy of action) from Birkbeck College, University of London to King's College, London.

*Ken Gemes (philosophy of science, Nietzsche, Freud) will retire from Birkbeck College, University of London in July 2023.

*Paul Giladi (critical theory, German Idealism, social epistemology, metaphysics) from Manchester Metropolitan University to SOAS University of London.

*Robert Gooding-Williams (social-political philosophy, philosophy of race, 19th- and 20th-century Continental philosophy) from Columbia University to Yale University (effective July 2024).

*Charles L. Griswold (18th-century philosophy, ethics, political philosophy, ancient philosophy) is retiring from Boston University at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

*Paul Guyer (Kant, aesthetics) is on phased retirement at Brown University (he is emeritus as of July 2023).

*Thimo Heisenberg (19th-century German philosophy, social & political philosophy) from Bryn Mawr College to Rice University (untenured lateral).

*Robert Howell (philosophy of mind, metaphysics) from Southern Methodist University to Rice University.

*Thomas Hurka (ethics), who has been on phased retirement at the University of Toronto, is retiring at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. (This information was included in the 2021 PGR surveys, so should, in principle, have been taken into account by evaluators.)

*Jessica Isserow (metaethics, ethics, moral psychology) from the University of Leeds to the University of Notre Dame (effective fall 2024).

*Susan James (early modern philosophy, feminist philosophy) will retire from Birkbeck College, University of London in July 2023.

*Zoe Jenkin (epistemology, philosophy of mind & cognitive science) from Washington University, St. Louis to Rutgers University, New Brunswick (untenured lateral).

*Hrishikesh Joshi (moral & political philospohy, metaethics, PPE) from Bowling Green State University to the University of Arizona (untenured lateral).

*Hannah Kim (aesthetics, metaphysics, Asian philosophy, existentialism) from Macalaster College to the University of Arizona (untenured lateral).

*Simon Kirchin (ethics, metaethics) from the University of Kent to the University of Leeds (effective January 2024).

*Claire Kirwin (ethics, metaethics, aesthetics, Nietzsche) from Clemson University to Northwestern University (untenured lateral).

*Katharina Kraus (Kant, philosophy of mind and psychology) from the University of Notre Dame to Johns Hopkins University (effective January 2023).

*Michael Kremer (history of analytic philosophy, logic) will retire from the University of Chicago at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

*Charles Larmore (political philosophy, ethics) will retire from Brown University at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

*N.G. Laskowski (ethics, metaethics, social philosophy) from California State University, Long Beach to the University of Maryland, College Park (untenured lateral).

*Harvey Lederman (logic, epistemology, philosophy of language, Chinese philosophy) from Princeton University to the University of Texas, Austin (effective January 2023).

Two senior hires for UC Santa Barbara: Allen from Pittsburgh, Roskies from Dartmouth

The Department of Philosophy at the University of California, Santa Barbara has made two senior hires:  Colin Allen (philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and biology), previously Distinguished Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, started at UCSB on July 1, 2023.

In addition, Adina Roskies (philosophy of science, cognitive science, and mind), currently holder of a Chair in philosophy at Dartmouth College, will join UCSB in January 2024. 

These appointments will certainly make UCSB an attractive program for students interested in philosophy of mind and cognitive science, and, together with other recent lateral hires in value theory, should push UCSB to the cusp of the top 30 in the U.S.

 

Müller from UC Riverside to Hamburg

Jozef Müller, previously Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Riverside, became Professor of Ancient Philosophy at the University of Hamburg, effective July 1, 2023.   (He is officially on leave from Riverside, so there is some possibility he might return.)

Florio from Birmingham to Oslo

Salvatore Florio (philosophy of language & mathematics, philosophical logic), currently Reader in Philosophy at the University of Birmingham, will become Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oslo (where is also currently a Professorial Fellow) this September.

Williamson to continue teaching at Oxford through 2026

Timothy Williamson, Wykeham Professor of Logic at Oxford, who turns 68 this August, has hit the mandatory retirement age.  However, according to his official Twitter page (and consistent with what he told me earlier), he will continue teaching and supervision through 2026.  It is pretty rare for Oxford to make these kinds of accomodations, but they are wise to do so, since it is very unclear Oxford will be able to fill the Wykeham Chair with someone at his level.

UPDATE:  Professor Williamson tells me the new "official" title for 2023-2026 will be Senior Research and Teaching Fellow on the Faculty of Philosophy, but he will be doing exactly what he was doing as Wykeham Professor in terms of teaching and supervision.

Another college considers eliminating philosophy, alas: Simmons University in Boston

From the Boston Globe:  

Simmons University, Boston’s only women’s college, is considering eliminating many undergraduate departments in the liberal arts, including philosophy and sociology, in response to substantial financial challenges and declining graduate enrollment.

The private university, which has trained generations of social workers and nurses, is the latest women’s college to confront existential threats to its business model, which has increasingly relied on graduate tuition to fund its operations in recent years. Its struggles are prompting concern among faculty members and alumnae.

Simmons president Lynn Perry Wooten, a scholar of crisis leadership, said the college must make difficult decisions to achieve financial stability, including adding revenue streams with new graduate programs and accelerated degree programs, discontinuing majors with low enrollment, and offering early retirement packages to faculty members. She estimates the turnaround process could take three to five years.

(Thanks to Arthur Smith for the pointer.)

In Memoriam: Robin Downie (1933-2023)

Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, Professor Downie was best-known for his work in ethics and applied ethics.  Professor David Bain, current Head of Department at Glasgow, writes:

With great sadness, the Philosophy Department at the University of Glasgow would like to register the death of our greatly valued colleague, Robin Downie, emeritus Chair of Moral Philosophy.

Robin died in February, at the age of 89.  An appreciation of Robin can be found on our website here: 

https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/humanities/research/philosophyresearch/newsandevents/headline_971073_en.html. 

Those who knew Robin or his work might also be interested in:

A former student's remembrance of Robin, published in the Scottish Review:  https://www.scottishreview.net/AlanMcIntyre648a.html

An obituary in the Scotsman:  https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/scotsman-obituaries-robin-downie-professor-of-moral-philosophy-at-glasgow-university-4142665

Another obituary in the Times:  https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/robin-downie-obituary-zbhb6bwp8 

Robin will be greatly missed.

Comments are open for remembrances from those knew Professor Downie, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

Kirchin from Kent to Leeds

Simon Kirchin (ethics, metaethics), currently Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kent, will become Professor of Applied Ethics at the University of Leeds in January 2024, where he will also be Director of the Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre.

In Memoriam: Richard W. Miller (1945-2023)

Professor Miller spent his career at Cornell University, where he was emeritus.  His writings ranged widely over philosophy of science, ethics, metaethics, political philosophy and Marx.   He wrote some brilliantly synoptic books on all these topics, including Analyzing Marx (which is, oddly, omitted from this obituary).  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Miller, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

(Thanks to Phil Gasper for the pointer.)

UPDATE:  The Cornell memorial notice is here.

In Memoriam: Henry E. Allison (1937-2023)

MOVING TO FRONT FROM SATURDAY, JUNE 10

Professor Allison, one of the most important and influential Kant scholars of the last fifty years, taught for many years at the University of California, San Diego, before joining Boston University, and then later the University of California, Davis.  He was only this year elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, which was long overdue.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Allison, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

Easwaran from Texas A&M to UC Irvine

MOVING TO FRONT FROM SATURDAY, JUNE 10

Kenny Easwaran (formal epistemology, epistemology, logic, philosophy of mathematics), Professor of Philosophy at Texas A&M University, has accepted a senior offer from the Department of Logic & Philosophy of Science at the University of California, Irvine, where he will start this coming academic year.  That's a major loss for Texas A&M, and a notable addition for Irvine! 

In Memoriam: Donald J. Munro (1931-2023)

A longtime member of the philosophy and Chinese faculties at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he was emeritus, Professor Munro was one of the leading scholars of Chinese philosophy of his generation in the Anglophone world.  There is an obituary here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Munro, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

(Thanks to Eric Hutton for the pointer.)

Three tenured hires for Notre Dame: Cohen from Edinburgh; Elliott and Isserow from Leeds

The University of Notre Dame has made three tenured hires:   Alix Cohen (Kant) will join as Professor of Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh this fall; and Edward Elliott (philosophy of mind, decision theory) and Jessica Isserow (metaethics, ethics, moral psychology) will both join as Associate Professors of Philosophy in fall 2024 from the University of Leeds.

(Thanks to Fritz Warfield for the information.)

In Memoriam: William J. Talbott (1949-2023)

MOVING TO FRONT FROM MAY 19, 2023:  UPDATED

Professor Talbott was a longtime faculty member at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he was emeritus.   His initial work was in epistemology, but he then wrote influentially in moral, political, and legal philosophy.   I met him many years ago; he was a first-rate intellect.  I will add links to memorial notices as they appear.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Talbott, or those who want to comment on the significance of his work.

(Thanks to Matt Lister and Colin Marshall for information.)

UPDATE:  Professor Talbott's year of birth was 1949 (not 1950 as I originally had it); my thanks to his UW colleague Professor Jamie Mayerfield (in Political Science) for the correction.

ANOTHER UPDATE:   An obituary at the Seattle Times.  And a podcast with Professor Talbott on naturalized epistemology.  (Thanks to Professor Mayerfield for the pointer.)

In Memoriam: Ian Jarvie (1937-2023)

A longtime faculty member at York University, Toronto, where he was emeritus, Professor Jarvie was best-known for his work in philosophy of the social sciences (especially on anthropology) and in film theory.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Jarvie, or for those who would like to comment on the significance of his work.

(Thanks to David Gordon for alerting me to his death.)

In Memoriam: Peter Machamer (1942-2023)

A longtime faculty member of the History and Philosophy of Science Department at the University of Pittsburgh, Professor Machamer was perhaps best-known for his work on Galileo and on the concept of mechanism.    Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Machamer, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

Nagasawa from Birmingham to Oklahoma

Yujin Nagasawa (philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind), currently Professor of Philosophy at the University of Birmingham, has accepted appointment as Professor of Philosophy and holder of the Kingfisher Chair in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, effective January 2024.

In Memoriam: Thomas M. Robinson (1936-2023)

Professor Robinson, a longtime member of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Toronto, where he was emeritus, was well-known for his work in ancient philosophy, perhaps most especially his Plato's Psychology (1970).  The Toronto memorial notice is here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Robinson or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

(Thanks to Professor George Boys-Stones for the pointer.)

In Memoriam: Ian Hacking (1936-2023)

MOVING TO THE FRONT FROM YESTERDAY--SOME NICE REMEMBRANCES, MORE WELCOME

Professor Hacking, who was emeritus at Toronto where he taught for more than two decades after stints at Stanford and Cambridge, was one of the most creative and influential thinkers in the history and philosophy of the sciences, broadly construed, over the last fifty years.  The Toronto memorial notice is here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Hacking, or for those who wish to comment on the significance of his work.

In Memoriam: Albert Borgmann (1937-2023)

A longtime member of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Montana, Professor Borgmann established the field of philosophy of technology in the Anglophone world.  There is an obituary here.  Comments are open for remembrances from those who knew Professor Borgmann, or who wish to comment on the signficance of his work.

(Thanks to Armond Duwell for the information.)

Scharp from Twente to Illinois/Urbana

Kevin Scharp (philosophy of language, philosophy of science, philosophy of artificial intelligence, ethics), currently at the University of Twente, has accepted appointment as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, beginning 2023-24.  He was previously Professor of Philosophy at Ohio State University, and Reader in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews.  This is the second senior appointment for Illinois this year!  These appointments stand a good chance of putting the department back in the U.S. top 50.

The Interim Head of the Department, Robin Kar, tells me that the Department has also voted out two other senior offers, and will be doing another senior search next year.  It's good to see the University investing so seriously in philosophy!

Big investment in PPE at Buffalo

The Department of Philosophy at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, has made a half-dozen senior and junior hires this year, with a particular eye to building up in PPE.  Here are the lateral hires, senior and junior:

Stewart Duncan (early modern) from the University of Florida, Gainesville, coming in as Professor.

Justin Bruner (social & political philosophy, PPE), currently Associate Professor of Political Economy and Moral Sciences at the University of Arizona will be joining Buffalo as Associate Professor.

Alexandra Oprea (political philosophy, PPE) currently Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, will be joining as Assistant Professor of Philosophy.

Daniel Stephens (Chinese and comparative philosophy, moral philosophy), currently Assistant Professor at Duke Kunshun University, will be joining Buffalo as an Assistant Professor.

Taylor from Vanderbilt to UCLA

Paul C. Taylor (philosophy of race, aesthetics, social-political philosophy), currently Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University, has accepted appointment as the inaugural Presidential Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Enoch to take up Chair in Philosophy of Law at Oxford

David Enoch, currently Professor of Law and Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, will take up the Professorship in Philosophy of Law at Oxford University (noted here) starting in 2023-24.  (Although Enoch will be full-time at Oxford, he will retain an affiliation with Hebrew University and continue to do some teaching and supervision there.)  This is certainly a strong appointment, although it does solidify Oxford's turn away from general jurisprudence in favor of moral philosophy and normative jurisprudence more generally.

Illinois makes bid for Schwenkler at Florida State (UPDATED)

MOVING TO FRONT FROM MARCH 2--UPDATED

The Department of Philosophy at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has voted out a senior offer to John Schwenkler (philosophy of action, philosophy of mind, ethics & moral psychology [philosophical and empirical]), Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University.  PhD students considering either program will want to keep an eye on what happens.

UPDATE:  Professor Schwenkler has accepted the Illinois offer!

In Memoriam: William Newton-Smith (1943-2023)

MOVING TO FRONT FROM APRIL 14--SOME VERY NICE AND EVOCATIVE REMEMBRANCES, MORE WELCOME

Well-known for his work in philosophy of science, Dr. Newton-Smith spent almost his entire career at Balliol College, Oxford, from which he also earned his D.Phil.  He also briefly served as one of the founders of the Central European University.  (The CEU memorial notice is here, and there is a brief notice form Balliol here.)  Comments are open for remembrances from those who know Dr. Newton-Smith, or who wish to comment on the significance of his work.  Links to additional memorial notices are also welcome.

Howell from SMU to Rice

Robert Howell (philosophy of mind, metaphysics), who is currently a Distinguished Professor in and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, has accepted appointment as Professor of Philosophy at Rice University, where he will also be Chair of the Department.

Professor Christian Emden, the current Chair of Philosophy at Rice, tells me that the university is investing in Philosophy, and that the department will be making several more appointments in the next few years.