Abstract

https://ssrn.com/abstract=2655751
 


 



Can Philosophy Be Justified in a Time of Crisis?


Nathan J Robinson


Harvard University

September 3, 2015


Abstract:     
In this paper, I take the position that a large portion of contemporary academic work is an appalling waste of human intelligence that cannot be justified under any mainstream normative ethics. Part I builds a four-step argument for why this is the case, while Part II responds to arguments for the contrary position offered in Cass Sunstein’s “In Defense of Law Reviews.” First, in Part I(A), I make the case that there is a large crisis of suffering in the world today. (Part I does not take me very long.). In Part I(B), I assess various theories of “the role of the intellectual,” concluding that the only role for the intellectual is for the intellectual to cease to exist. In Part I(C), I assess the contemporary state of the academy, showing that, contrary to the theory advanced in Part I(B), many intellectuals insist on continuing to exist. In Part I(D), I propose a new path forward, whereby present-day intellectuals take on a useful social function by spreading truths that help to alleviate the crisis of suffering outlined in Part I(A).


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Date posted: September 15, 2015  

Suggested Citation

Robinson, Nathan J, Can Philosophy Be Justified in a Time of Crisis? (September 3, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2655751

Contact Information

Nathan J Robinson (Contact Author)
Harvard University ( email )
1875 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
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