Topics Profession

Question The rapid growth of scientific research has resulted in, and is probably also the result of, the impressive solution of successive scientific problems. Do the panelists think that the rapid growth of philosophical research in Universities can be explained correspondingly in terms of impressive solution of philosophical problems? If not, then by what?

Accepted:
November 3, 2005

Comments

Has there been "rapid growth in philosophical research in"universities? How should we measure that? Perhaps by looking at theincrease in the number of philosophical journals? And in terms of thenumbers of articles and books published per year? I would expect that,judged by such measures, philosophical research is booming. I think themost obvious explanation for this is the tying of promotion through theacademic ranks to publication. The search for "objective" standards forpromotion (to abet the abdication of judgment, to avoid lawsuits, toprovide a measure of an institution's standing vis-à-vis its competitors),this search seized with relief upon the spurious quantifiability ofarticles and books. Academic presses understood the need and stepped into supply the demand. No mysteries here. Only a situation to regret, andresist.