Computability and Physics.

APP Editors’ Note: Andreas Keller is an independent philosopher living in Hannover, Germany, and currently working as a computer programmer. *** In Part 3, Section 2.2 (“Natural Mechanism, Computability, and Anti-Mechanism”) of “The Rational Human Condition”[i], Robert Hanna proposes a definition of what he calls “natural mechanism,” in terms of mechanistic laws of physics. He … [continue reading]

Performance Philosophy, Public Philosophy, and Borderless Philosophy.

Two New Movements in Contemporary Philosophy Two extremely interesting movements in contemporary philosophy have emerged simultaneously, but also almost entirely independently of one another, within the past five years: performance philosophy and public philosophy. I think that both performance philosophy and public philosophy are not only extremely interesting, but also extremely important. That is because … [continue reading]

Susan Haack’s “The Real Question: Can Philosophy be Saved?”

APP Editors’ Note: “The Real Question: Can Philosophy be Saved?” originally appeared in Free Inquiry 37, 6 (2017). “Our editor” refers to FI’s editor, Tom Flynn. Once again—now, heaven help me, even in the pages of Free Inquiry!—I find myself “otherwise minded,”[1] the cannibal among the missionaries. Why so? I certainly share our editor’s sense … [continue reading]

On Philosophical Failures.

Eighteen months ago, in “‘Failed Academics’: Schopenhauer, Peirce, and the (D)evolution of University Philosophy,” APP wrote about the meta-philosophically fascinating phenomenon of great philosophers who are also notable social “failures,” and in particular “failed academics.” We focused on Schopenhauer and Peirce: but we might just as easily have written about Diogenes, Socrates, Spinoza, Kierkegaard, Thoreau, … [continue reading]