Robbins Library Notes

For some students, the formal study of philosophy ends with the completion of their undergraduate studies. Others, though, go on to study philosophy at the graduate level, whether for personal interest, to prepare for a career in academia, or to augment preparation for a law degree, for example.

Many students who are applying to graduate programs in philosophy consult the Philosophical Gourmet Report, authored by Brian Leiter, the (correction 11/7/2008) John Wilson Professor of Law at the University of Chicago, and Director of Chicago’s Center for Law, Philosophy, and Human Values.

The Report lists departments by overall rank, with further breakdowns by specialty rank, in terms of areas in which department faculty research and teaching interests are focused. You can learn more about the report’s methodology here.

Needless to say, the Report has become, in recent years, an important, but controversial, part of the life of philosophy graduate programs in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australasia, especially in terms of graduate applications and admissions. Prospective students use the report to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of particular programs when making decisions about where to apply and where to accept offers. And faculty and deans view the report with mixed reactions — some support the rankings, while others question its validity and what aspects of graduate programs that it represents.*

In light of all of this, readers may find this recent article from the Boston Globe, written by Mark Oppenheimer, which takes a closer look at the report and its author: “The philosopher kingmaker: With one simple list, Brian Leiter is changing an entire field,” of interest. It’s definitely worth a read, given the influence of the report and the controversy that it has generated.

For those interested in the article on the Philosophical Gourmet Report from the Chronicle of Higher Education that is referenced in Oppenheimer’s article, you may read it here. You’ll need a Harvard ID and PIN to access it.

*For the record: I do not have an opinion on the report at the present time. I am merely stating here what the report is, and the way that it is perceived by the philosophical community in the Anglophone world, especially in the US. This post is neither an endorsement of the Philosophical Gourmet Report, nor is it a criticism. The reader should examine what is here, visit the Philosophical Gourmet Report site, consult some of the criticisms of the report, and make up her or his own mind as to its usefulness and validity.