tpm the philosophers’ magazine

Issue 41 • 2nd quarter 2008

Contents . . .

ACTIONS & EVENTS

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From the editor

News Massacre in Finland, fights over reviews and souls, and bad news for graduates

Mediawatch Philosophy and philosophers in the mass media

Word of Mouse Luciano Floridi’s regular look at the world wide web

Philosophy has its day Antonia Macaro finds a global celebration a little too self-congratulatory

THOUGHTS

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The Interview TM Scanlon talks about the centrality of relationships to morality

Letter from... Hong Kong Steve Palmquist on where money meets metaphysics

The TPM Essay Jonathan Réée on philosophy as an art

Engines of Thought Natasha McCarthy on the philosophy of engineering

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Sci-Phi Mathew Iredale’s column on science and philosophy

Provocations Michael LaBossiere on the morality of mercenaries

Challenging Socrates Emily Wilson asks if the secular saint of philosophy should be taken off his pedestal

Head to head: Humanism Tim Crane and Peter Cave clash over the merits of humanism

FORUM

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Ramin Jahanbegloo After his release from prison in Iran, the dissident philosopher talks about the possibility of dialogue

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Legalising drugs Michael Huemmer argues that prohibition has intellectually and pragmatically failed

Defending ID Steve Fuller explains why he doesn’t have to agree with the people he has chosen to speak up for

You’re screwing the planet James Garvey argues that you are not doing nearly enough for the planet

The politics of ignorance Kenan Malik on why both sides of the race debate have got it wrong tpm the philosophers’ magazine

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The price of free speech Andrew Kelly on organising an event where the speaker says something racist

THE LOWDOWN

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Snapshot: Giambattista Vico The lowdown on the Neapolitan great

Pop culture Briony Addey gets Lost

REVIEW

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New books Reviews of a new biography of JS Mill, plus books by Kwame Anthony Appiah, Bernard Williams and Slavoj Zizek

Author Q&A Richard Shusterman on France coming first

Review of reviews What the critics said about The Death of Socrates and A Secular Age

LAST WORDS

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My philosophy Physicist Alan Sokal on academic trespass

The Skeptic Wendy Grossman’s regular column

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Philosophy Press, Dunstan House, 14a St Cross Street, London, EC1N 8XA UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7841 1959 Fax: +44 (0)20 7242 1474 editor@philosophers.co.uk www.philosophersnet.com

Editors

Julian Baggini (print edition) Jeremy Stangroom (new media)

Associate editor Ophelia Benson Production editor Matthew Humphrys Publisher Edward Milford

Editorial Advisory Board Tim Crane, Miranda Fricker, Simon Glendinning, Susan James, David Papineau, Nina Power, Anthony Price, Jonathan Réée, Richard Schoch, Barry C Smith, Jonathan Wolff

Design

Paul Cooper

Layout

John Perkins

Illustrations/Graphics Felix Bennett (cover), Pipo di Bressana, Gareth Southwell.

Contributors Briony Addey, Giorgio Baruchello, Peter Cave, Tim Crane, DawNay Evans, Luciano Floridi, Steve Fuller, James Garvey, Wendy Grossman, Michael Huemmer, Mathew Iredale, Jean Kazez, Andrew Kelly, Michael LaBossiere, Antonia Macaro, Kenan Malik, Richard Norman, Steve Palmquist, Jonathan Réée, Emily Wilson, Mark Vernon.

Contributors’ Notes Contact the editor to submit proposals. Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts.

Distribution by (UK) Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London E9 5LN Tel: 020 8986 4854 (North America) Source Interlink, 27500 Riverview Center Blvd., Bonita Springs, Florida 34134; Tel: (239) 949-4450 Ubiquity Distributors Inc., 607 Degraw Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Tel: (718) 875 5491

Printed by Warwick Printing, Leamington Spa CV31 1QD

With thanks toDenis Collins.

Subscriptions UK: 01442 879097 North America: 1 800 444 2419 See page ?? for full details

© 2008, The Philosophy Press Ltd and contributors

ISSN 1354-814X

All views expressed in TPM represent those of the authors of each article and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or publishers.

Cover: Original artwork by Felix Bennett (after H Winfield Scott). Design by Paul Cooper.

2ND QUARTER 2008tpm