John Maier
@johnmaier_
leader writer @thetimes | columnist @unherd |Philosophy DPhil @BalliolOxford | [email protected]
With a few exceptions -- @Docstockk, @aytchellesse, @byrne_a -- philosophers continue to affect a bizarre neutrality over whether there are male women. Is it any surprise this cues the public into writing off academia generally? Me and @d_kodsi in TPM philosophersmag.com/philosophical-…
Alex Byrne’s “colleagues” dogpile him for co-writing a critique of American pediatric gender medicine – Jerry Coyne presents a full accounting of this latest episode in cancel culture. whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/07/07/ale…
These people helplessly reveal their character in their reactions to the simplest choice points. “Do I smoothly publish the article, with the tag ‘interesting piece, discuss’, or do I plug my ears and pretend it doesn’t exist, even as dozens of people bring it to my attention?”
Open discussions are for going round in a circle agreeing about the importance of having open discussions. Not kidding. @DailyNousEditor shared a guest post last week on “the personal value of conversations across serious disagreement”.
Quite hard to see the case against hosting an open discussion -- especially when, as is this case here, the perception that the wider debate has been controlled and policed in undesirable ways is itself part of the problem to be addressed @DailyNousEditor
The determination to falsify ability-ascriptions like Brandon’s is almost impressive.
Quite hard to see the case against hosting an open discussion -- especially when, as is this case here, the perception that the wider debate has been controlled and policed in undesirable ways is itself part of the problem to be addressed @DailyNousEditor
Any philosophers who follow me or @johnmaier_: we would love it if you could ask Justin Weinberg (his email is available on the Daily Nous “About” page) to open a discussion thread on our essay. Among other things, we are curious to see how many requests he is prepared to ignore.
I think this is a terrific idea and I have emailed Justin to this effect. I'd encourage any philosophers who follow me to do the same.
Any philosophers who follow me or @johnmaier_: we would love it if you could ask Justin Weinberg (his email is available on the Daily Nous “About” page) to open a discussion thread on our essay. Among other things, we are curious to see how many requests he is prepared to ignore.
Any philosophers who follow me or @johnmaier_: we would love it if you could ask Justin Weinberg (his email is available on the Daily Nous “About” page) to open a discussion thread on our essay. Among other things, we are curious to see how many requests he is prepared to ignore.
Thanks - it's excellent. I am not sure you establish that reassignment surgery is always wrong, but you are spot on about the evasive and complacent academic politics, which fortunately some of my students have noticed.
Deafening silence from @DailyNousEditor about "Philosophical Malpractice", published two days ago in the @philosophersmag. The article is about the failure of philosophers (and other academics) to speak up against the excesses of trans theory - and practice. This is odd because…
MIT philosophy professor Alex Byrne (COI:@byrne_a = my husband) was recently the target of an open letter, originating from within his own department. (His reply is below.) It accused him of perpetuating "harm toward the trans community"; violating "professional academic ethics";…
Basically the "argument" is: How dare you disagree with right-thinking people like us?!!! They're not really interested in debating; they're performing. They're trying to amass a large number of signatures to their declaration of anathema. Why? To intimidate Alex and make him a…
Read more about Kemi Badenoch’s struggles to turn around the Conservative Party in the @NewStatesman newstatesman.com/politics/uk-po…
The pretence of neutrality operates in almost all mainstream journalism as well.
These are the opening paragraphs from today’s New York Times article. Calling kids “transgender minors” is not editorial neutrality. Nor is it a matter of “style.” It is taking sides in a debate, and NYT has to stop pretending otherwise. Also, “two transgender daughters”?
Certainly a disagreeable and funny set of decisions
A guest post from today – @DailyNousEditor values having conversations across disagreements and using humour to serious philosophical ends. What a shame we don’t fit that profile dailynous.com/2025/07/22/on-…
You may enjoy this recent essay by me and @johnmaier_, which exhibits “contempt for these mindless sheep” in a far more explicit form. I do know @byrne_a and our essay draws political morals from the philosophical conclusions his book establishes. philosophersmag.com/philosophical-…
A guest post from today – @DailyNousEditor values having conversations across disagreements and using humour to serious philosophical ends. What a shame we don’t fit that profile dailynous.com/2025/07/22/on-…
An example of complacent adherence to progressive orthodoxy in a different connection.
I find it astonishing that not a single outlet published an appropriately critical write-up of Helen Lewis's 'The Genius Myth', which spoils its reviewers for choice with silly banalities and bad argument. Thanks to TPM for publishing this review in full philosophersmag.com/unexceptional-…
In this thread, Rona rightly takes me and @johnmaier_ to task for the excessive politeness of our essay. As we refrained from making altogether explicit, the argument of the plaintiffs is, in fact, an opportunistic exercise in exploiting the legally relevant category closest to…
Excellent read from @d_kodsi & @johnmaier_. So excellent that it should have ended the debate... but alas, since we're in deeply ideological realms, it wouldn't. An underappreciated point re Skrmetti and the grand Yale Philosophy intervention, IMO: > philosophersmag.com/philosophical-…