Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · 8h

Very happy to see this out. It's a critical piece with @martinkusch.bsky.social on one of my very favourite philosophers, Hilary Kornblith. Published in a new book, Kornblith and His Critics, edited by Josh DiPaolo and Luis Oliveira.

doi.org/10.1002/9781...

Kornblith, Naturalism, Relativism

Three core commitments run through Kornblith's work in epistemology. First, epistemologists should investigate knowledge itself rather than the concept of knowledge. Second, knowledge is a natural ki...

doi.org

1 7

Reposted by Robin McKenna

Chris @multiplicityct.bsky.social · 9d

We have nothing to worry about from AI's hyper-persuasiveness...as long as we're truly masters of our own beliefs, the claims of social epistemology are wrong, and we can fully understand how & why models are influencing us. In other words, it's an issue. Great new @rbnmckenna.bsky.social article.

Robin McKenna, Sophistry on Steroids? The Ethics, Epistemology and Politics of Persuasive AI - PhilPapers

This paper examines the ethical, epistemological, and political implications of persuasive AI technologies. Recent research suggests that AI is roughly as persuasive as humans in many contexts. Should...

philpapers.org

3 11

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · 9d

constantly

Academic spam from a "publication coach" at "Editage" with the subject line: "worried about standing out this conference season?"

2

Reposted by Robin McKenna

lastpositivist.bsky.social @lastpositivist.bsky.social · 17d

Just got an email from a scam academic journal asking if I wanted to "explore new advances in White Psychodrama" and it's just got me like: buddy, I can watch the news myself.

11 130 1K

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · 17d

Available open access: a new paper arguing that, even though persuasive AI technologies won't destroy the world, we should be worried about them.

doi.org/10.1007/s001...

Sophistry on steroids? The ethics, epistemology and politics of persuasive AI - AI & SOCIETY

This paper examines the ethical, epistemological, and political implications of persuasive AI technologies. Recent research suggests that AI is roughly as persuasive as humans in many contexts. Should...

doi.org

2

Reposted by Robin McKenna

Alexander Douglas @axdouglas.bsky.social · 23d

My Philosophical Manifesto

This interview with Contralytic ended up being my philosophical manifesto.

open.substack.com

1 7 12

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · 24d

New paper w/Chris Ranalli explaining why I don't think there need be a close connection between skepticism and political conservatism. It's a critical discussion of a new book, Jonathan Ichikawa's Epistemic Courage, but we sketch our favored form of skepticism at the end.
philpapers.org/rec/MCKSAC-4

Robin McKenna & Christopher Ranalli, Skepticism and Conservatism - PhilPapers

In his excellent new book Epistemic Courage Jonathan Ichikawa argues that epistemology evinces a bias towards the skeptical. In its most extreme forms (i.e. radical skepticism), this leads to complete...

philpapers.org

2 4

Reposted by Robin McKenna

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · 29d

New paper in AI & Society on why we should be worried about persuasive AI technologies even if you are, like me, sceptical that we are about to enter a world of AI "hyper-persuasion".

philpapers.org/rec/MCKSOS-2

Robin McKenna, Sophistry on Steroids? The Ethics, Epistemology and Politics of Persuasive AI - PhilPapers

This paper examines the ethical, epistemological, and political implications of persuasive AI technologies. Recent research suggests that AI is roughly as persuasive as humans in many contexts. Should...

philpapers.org

3 10

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · 29d

New paper in AI & Society on why we should be worried about persuasive AI technologies even if you are, like me, sceptical that we are about to enter a world of AI "hyper-persuasion".

philpapers.org/rec/MCKSOS-2

Robin McKenna, Sophistry on Steroids? The Ethics, Epistemology and Politics of Persuasive AI - PhilPapers

This paper examines the ethical, epistemological, and political implications of persuasive AI technologies. Recent research suggests that AI is roughly as persuasive as humans in many contexts. Should...

philpapers.org

3 10

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · 29d

the latter, or so he claims

1 1

Reposted by Robin McKenna

Anthony Moser @anthonymoser.com · Sep 1

it's a common mistake but actually Dr Frankenstein was the monster

31 86 880

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Aug 20

Short Substack post where I explain why selective cynicism--something you see quite often on the social media feeds of heterodox academics--really annoys me.

open.substack.com/pub/rbnmcken...

Against Selective Cynicism

It won’t surprise readers of this Substack to learn that I am, at heart, a cynic and a pessimist.

open.substack.com

5

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Aug 13

New Substack post where I talk some more about my current obsession: propaganda. This is a review of a book that I very strongly recommend, Cory Wimberly's How Propaganda Became Public Relations: Foucault and the Corporate Governance of the Public.

open.substack.com/pub/rbnmcken...

The Manufacture of Subjects

A Review of Cory Wimberly's How Propaganda Became Public Relations

open.substack.com

1 4

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Aug 7

Thanks to @aidanmcglynn.bsky.social @ale1808.bsky.social @oldjerryfodor.bsky.social @neillevy.bsky.social @tays95.bsky.social @msimion.bsky.social as well as Heather Battaly, Ian James Kidd, Marie van Loon, Anne Meylan, Veli Mitova, and to my co-editor Gerry Dunne.

6

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Aug 7

The International Journal of Philosophical Studies were kind enough to do a special issue on my book (really a hybrid: articles on ideal and non-ideal epistemology plus some critical commentaries). Thanks to everyone who contributed for making it a fantastic collection.

philpapers.org/rec/MCKIAN

Robin McKenna & Gerry Dunne, Ideal and Non-Ideal Theory in Epistemology - PhilPapers

This is the editors' introduction to a special issue on Ideal and Non-Ideal Theory in Epistemology in the International Journal of Philosophical Studies.

philpapers.org

1 11 42

Reposted by Robin McKenna

Jakob Ohlhorst @jakobohlhorst.bsky.social · Jul 31

Don't mind Robin, his book is great, and we (Nastja, Nora, and I) wouldn't have been able to make these criticisms without Robin's groundwork!

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Jul 30

Good criticisms of my book on Non-Ideal Epistemology in this critical notice in Analysis. I've come to agree with a lot of the criticisms in here, so if someone wants to write a better book that does all these things please do.

academic.oup.com/analysis/adv...

Non-ideal enough?

In recent years, the traditional outlook and methods of analytic epistemology with its thought experiments, Gettierology and definition-mongering have beco

academic.oup.com

1 5

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Jul 30

Good criticisms of my book on Non-Ideal Epistemology in this critical notice in Analysis. I've come to agree with a lot of the criticisms in here, so if someone wants to write a better book that does all these things please do.

academic.oup.com/analysis/adv...

Non-ideal enough?

In recent years, the traditional outlook and methods of analytic epistemology with its thought experiments, Gettierology and definition-mongering have beco

academic.oup.com

1 9

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Jul 30

Thanks for writing it. I don't know if you saw, but Dan and I both did book reviews for the Australasian Journal of Philosophy. We agree (I think) that there is less disagreement between us than you might expect.

1 1

Reposted by Robin McKenna

Aidan McGlynn @aidanmcglynn.bsky.social · Jul 29

Haven't had a chance to read this double review-essay from @catsaintcroix.bsky.social on Greco and @rbnmckenna.bsky.social's books on idealisation in epistemology yet, but it looks really interesting

Catharine Saint-Croix, Greco (2023) _Idealization in Epistemology_ and McKenna (2023) _Non-Ideal Epistemology_ - PhilPapers

Epistemology is rife with idealization. And, although concern about particular idealizations—logical omniscience, infinite iterations of common knowledge, and so on—is long-standing, systematic metaep...

philpapers.org

1 2 15

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Jul 18

thanks! from a brief glance it looks like it might work well.

1

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Jul 18

thanks this is *incredibly* useful

1 1

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Jul 18

thanks! anything else that you have found works? This is for an MA seminar but experience teaches that you can't assume much prior knowledge.

1

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Jul 18

I'm teaching a class on Philosophy and Social Change in september. It will look at different theories of and responses to social change: conservative, liberal, radical. But I'm really struggling for readings that are (a) accessible (b) high quality. Any suggestions?

3 4

Reposted by Robin McKenna

Dr Dave Hitchcock @davehitchcock.bsky.social · Jul 17

I don't UCU post much now but I'll do one about pay for a sec, as IMV we're headed towards a predictable fail state unless people get realistic, and quick.

1. the UCEA pay offer is comically bad
2. Going out in fall on "pay" is a terrible idea
3. Go out on saving jobs and saving the sector instead

4 12

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Jul 9

I wrote about epistemic trespassing and why it is bad for my Substack. Tl;dr: it is tempting to talk about it as a moral failing but I think it is often more helpful to view trespassing behaviour as a rational response to bad incentives.

rbnmckenna86.substack.com/p/what-is-wr...

What Is Wrong with Epistemic Trespassing?

Epistemic Trespassing and the Division of Cognitive Labour

rbnmckenna86.substack.com

1 4