On Professional Philosophy and Its Myths: An Interview with Dr. Spera & Dr. Peña-Guzmán
In this episode, I had the honor and the privilege to interview Dr. Rebekah Spera and Dr. David Peña-Guzmán, regarding their book: Professional Philosophy & Its Myths. Excellent book! I recommend you buy it and read it, and I recommend you ask your local library to purchase a copy also. As I say in the Introduction, these philosophers were willing to go into deep water with me, and they unflinchingly discussed timely, sensitive and very important topics with me. I thank them again! Questions and comments are welcome.
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Link to Purchase Their Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Philosophy-Myths-Rebekah-Spera/dp/1666939714 [https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Philosophy-Myths-Rebekah-Spera/dp/1666939714]
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Philosophy People Links:
Dr. Spera:
https://philpapers.org/s/Rebekah%20Spera [https://philpapers.org/s/Rebekah%20Spera]
Dr. Pena-Guzman:
https://philpapers.org/s/David%20M.%20Pe%C3%B1a-Guzm%C3%A1n [https://philpapers.org/s/David%20M.%20Pe%C3%B1a-Guzm%C3%A1n]
Dr. Scalambrino:
https://philpapers.org/s/Frank%20Scalambrino [https://philpapers.org/s/Frank%20Scalambrino]
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The Philosophemes Podcast. Deep roots. Dangerous ideas. The Canon, remixed.
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction and Shared Diagnosis
20:18 Authentic Philosophical Identity or Performance: Myths and the Theater of Institutional Indoctrination
1:13:24 The Unionized Adjunct as Breaker of the White Myth
1:33:49 Merit, Minimum Standards, and the Contradictions of Gatekeeping
2:38:03 Philosophy as Vocation vs. Careerism: Who Gets to Be Called a “Philosopher”?
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If you'd like to read Schopenhauer's thoughts on this topic, as exemplified by his quote:
“The vocation of philosophy can only be given by nature, not by the popular vote of bureaucratic administrators at a university.”
~Schopenhauer, “On Philosophy at the Universities,” §31.
Here is a link to my commentary and translation of Schopenhauer's essay:
https://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-at-Universities-Arthur-Schopenhauer/dp/1947674846 [https://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-at-Universities-Arthur-Schopenhauer/dp/1947674846]
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🔗 Questions & Comments Are Welcome:
🧭 https://linktr.ee/philosophemes [https://linktr.ee/philosophemes]
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🔗 Links & Support:
📚 Amazon Author Page
https://amzn.to/4cM6nzf [https://amzn.to/4cM6nzf]
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☠️ The Existentialism Book
http://shepherd.com/book/what-is-existentialism-vol-i [http://shepherd.com/book/what-is-existentialism-vol-i]
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☕ Coffee? Cheers! (Ko-fi)
https://ko-fi.com/philosophemes [https://ko-fi.com/philosophemes]
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#AcademicLabor, #AdjunctLife, #HigherEdCrisis, #TenureTrack, #PhilosophyAsVocation, #EducationMatters, #AuthenticPhilosophy, #Merit, #GatekeepingInAcademia, #AcademicElitism, #AcademicTheater, #InstitutionalMyths, #EducationReform
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Some links may be “affiliate links,” which means I may I receive a small commission from your purchase through these links. This helps to support the channel. Thank you.
Editorial, educational, and fair use of images.
© 2025, Frank Scalambrino, Ph.D.
https://evergreenpodcasts.com/the-philosophemes-podcast [https://evergreenpodcasts.com/the-philosophemes-podcast]
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The content presented by The Philosophemes Podcast and The Philosophemes Channel is for educational and editorial purposes only. It should not be considered medical or legal advice. All opinions expressed are those of the speaker(s) and do not reflect any affiliated organization, association, or group.
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