May 31, 1995 Prof. Eric Hoffman Executive Director, American Philosophical Association University of Delaware Newark, Delaware 19716 Dear Professor Hoffman: I am writing in regard to the interest on the part of the American Philosophical Association, as expressed at the Saturday morning meeting in Chicago, of taking steps to enhance the impact of philosophers on the thinking of the educated public. I suggested at that meeting that the APA sponsor a periodical which makes philosophical ideas, positions, arguments and debates available to a popular, educated, but non-specialized audience. If laid out in an attractive format and written in a popular style, it might be made available on newsstands and grow to influence the thinking of a broad spectrum of the educated public. It might be in league with some of the popular periodicals in history and psychology which enjoy wide circulation. Such a prospect is now more possible than ever before. In the past twenty years, philosophers have been writing increasingly for non-specialized audiences in both textbooks and periodicals outside our discipline. And philosophers are being thought of more and more as articulate communicators, not just narrow scholars. The radio program, "No Dogs or Philosophers Allowed," is one indication of this trend, as is the increasing number of non-specialized pieces written by philosophers and appearing in publications in applied ethics. I believe the speaking and writing style of philosophers has become more broadly communicable, and that the discipline could now support a Philosophy Now. There is, I believe, a deep need for our discipline to take steps to develop a body of literature which is accessible to the broadly educated person. Both I and other philosophers I know regularly encounter requests from non-philosophers for accessible readings on philosophical topics. Sometimes this is sparked by an interest in philosophical thought as it applies to other areas of knowledge. Work in the philosophy of this and that is often of broader interest than just to professional philosophers. But it is too often addressed only to philosophers, and written in a specialized philosophical idiom. Directors of a local public library and my college library have repeatedly asked me to recommend publications which would interpret recent philosophical developments for the educated, but not philosophically specialized public. Sometimes, I find that such literature does exist, but is widely scattered. Often, it seems that some of the most interesting philosophy is obscure and inaccessible to general readers. We have an obligation to those who major in philosophy as undergraduates, yet leave the field formally, to provide them with means of pursuing on their own the philosophical curiosity they developed in our courses. If the study of philosophy offers more than the learning of logic and critical thinking, and if philosophy indeed has a distinct subject matter, then we should take a professional interest in helping others to grapple with our subject. If philosophy contributes to enlightenment, then our failure to present philosophical developments in a generally comprehensible, applicable and ongoing way to those wanting access to them is to fail our duty as teachers, humanists and citizens. If philosophy has implications for those outside our discipline, then developments in it should be made appropriately available. What we need now is a journal which presents a well-balanced and readable body of relevant philosophical developments to the interested, educated public. It might include, regularly, or occasionally, departments in each of the major sub-fields of philosophy. It should include short essays, book reviews, and letters to the editor. It should not shy away from debate, but reflect the dynamism and excitement which are the lifeblood of our field. Although such a periodical would be expensive to begin with, the costs should be more than compensated by its service to the public, our students and to the profession. I would be willing to help make this case to anyone willing to listen. Sincerely, Raymond S. Pfeiffer, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy office: 517 686-9373 e-mail: rspfeiff@alpha.delta.edu