If you are planning to study philosophy in graduate school, then you will certainly come across, in discussion or on the internet, The Philosophical Gourmet Report. The report is the brainchild of Brian Leiter, professor of philosophy and law at the University of Chicago. The report is a ranking of the top philosophy graduate departments in the world. If your rank is about 50 in North America, it simply means that you are par for the course (there are over 100 philosophy departments in North America alone).
Those in the academic discipline have debated over the meaningfulness of the report. I am not in the academic discipline, but I find that the report, at best, is a ranking of faculty reputation. It doesn’t appear to discern the departments’ abilities to educate and professionalize future academic philosophers.
It appears that Dr. Zachary Ernst has some pointed remarks on the Gourmet Report; he argues that the very methodology of the ranking system is flawed. I find it well reasoned and those in the discipline should take notice. You can find his argument here.
Posted on 4 February 2009
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