C.M. Black

Thank you for sharing. Cheers.

An interesting update.

Most secondary literature, as the majority, especially from the past century, is far too dry for my tastes. I can appreciate it, but I wouldn't write it. I find it difficult to find good stylists in philosophy, but if anyone has any recommendations outside the classics, please let me know.

If you feel called, answer the call. I don't remotely do anything related to philsci, but if you do, here's a chance!

Revolting. Which may lead to revolting.

Definitely worth a repost. Women philosophers exist and are worthy of study equal to their male counterparts.

YouTube video by The Philosopher On the Marginalisation of Women in Philosophy and Science: A. Donald, F. Peacock, J. Park & P. West

ICYMI: "On the Marginalisation of Women in #Philosophy and #Science"

Athene Donald, Francesca Peacock, & Jennifer Park on the importance of recovering women's work, stereotypes, myth of gendered ways of thinking, and who else was overlooked.

#Feminism
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTK8...

Philosophy unfortunately remains a very sexist field, so seeing people doing this kind of work is incredible. Reclaiming women as philosophers rather than anomalies is a difficult task, but a worthy one. Thank you for sharing this. I will too.

Even at a women's college with (male) professors keeping women in mind, these figures seemed like footnotes. If you look at pop philosophy books, you are lucky if you get Beauvoir and Arendt. You may only get one. I know this because I used to collect those books for fun.

I love this, as it is incredibly important in philosophy (and the sciences, of course). 20 years ago, studying at a women's college, I had an offering of women philosophers that were seen as marginalized or fringe, because they were women. I was lucky to "meet" Cavendish and Hildegard, but even then

Such a very sad, yet necessary story to keep alive.

Please consider all food pantry donations near you this year. If you have more, give some for others.

Release the Bats!: Thomas Nagel's Subjectivity of Experience We discuss Thomas Nagel's article "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?" and how far we can extend our human knowledge when it comes to our subjective experience.

Proud to share my Halloween post for The Philosopher's Shirt, discussing Nagel's famous "Bat" article. One of the more interesting analytic works, IMO. #philsky

the-philosophers-shirt.com/blogs/philos...

I am getting started on the (possibly last?) round of applications for philosophy PhD programs. I've applied two times before, over the past 15+ years. I now have the opportunity and CV to make myself a competitive candidate. At 40, I am older, but I have to do this or I will regret it. #philsky

Unfortunately, even for practitioners, dehumanization of people receiving their care is very common. I have some horror stories.

If I drank, I probably would have gone full on Hemingway while writing that. It was a lot.

Thank you so very much for your comment. I appreciate it. I apologize for not answering sooner. I've been having some "not great" days and I don't come here often when that is a thing.

But yes, it's very odd how we want to be for "mental health" but still stigmatize people who struggle with it.

Accurate, as usual.

The Birth of Nietzsche from the Spirit of Philosophy We discover Friedrich Nietzsche's ideas on aesthetics in one of his works, discussing two forms of art and beauty, and how they combine to create tragedy.

In addition, I would like to invite you to read my newest article at The Philosopher's Shirt, on Friedrich Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy. I used that text for my first published academic article, so it has a place in my heart. #philsky

the-philosophers-shirt.com/blogs/philos...

October Vision Video and the difference a year can make

I have ended my Substack hiatus and my new self reflective essay is up. I keep all Substacks free for everyone. Check it out here:

open.substack.com/pub/cmblack/...

Medication and talk therapy help many people heal and maintain their lives. They help me. But we can accept this while also accepting the brutality that was prevalent in psychiatry for a long time.

This is why we think critically.

If you are curious about the later history of institutionalization and treatment of people with mental illness, Mab Segrest's Administrations of Lunacy is a vital read.

Please understand that most things are nuanced, and we can still criticize something that is currently helping many people.

Historically (and a little bit now, to be honest), this punishment has been used through the hospital. A person is not going to heal if they are chained in solitary confinement in a dank room. That's delusional to think so.

What I didn't understand at the time was that he wasn't denying the existence of mental health issues or disorders. He suffered from them himself. What he was arguing, was that power structures objectify and punish people with mental health issues because they don't fit in to the world around them.

I learned very early on, that we should not latch too preciously to our opinions, because they can (and do) change. When I first wrote about mental illness and ethical culpability nearly 20 years ago, I rejected Foucault outright.

I'd like to take a moment to mention something about an article I shared, that I wrote RE: Madness & Civ.

I have never and would never deny the existence of mental disorders. I have struggled as someone with bipolar for all 40 years of my life. I am, in many respects, disabled.

PS: I will add that this was my view when I was a young person studying philosophy. However, experience and education led me to understand that things are more nuanced, which many people who try to be thoughtful in their worldviews understand.

If you read the article, feel free to come back with questions, but you are talking to someone who does historical research into the history of psychiatry and has published in an academic journal about this. I don't do this to get small minded responses like this.

Also, look into the history of psychiatry. It's not as clear cut as you are implying, and, since you say that medicine is meant to heal, you should know that the doctor has no right in being a judge of morality, and that this is not helpful for the patient.

I feel you have invalidated my own lived experience as a person living with bipolar disorder and PTSD, while simultaneously trying to be condescending about my writing. Read the article, then ask questions. Do not make assertions because you read the title of an article.