Manuel America/América Vargas
@unfilosofo.bsky.social
Professor of Philosophy, etc.
UC San Diego
free will, moral psych, responsibility, Latin American philosophy, secularization
My views do not necessarily represent my views.
UC San Diego
free will, moral psych, responsibility, Latin American philosophy, secularization
My views do not necessarily represent my views.
While the news is promising that airports will be dire places for the foreseeable future, Southwest Airlines would like to know if, by any chance, I’d like to take a trip somewhere, pretty please?
November 7, 2025 at 3:19 PM
While the news is promising that airports will be dire places for the foreseeable future, Southwest Airlines would like to know if, by any chance, I’d like to take a trip somewhere, pretty please?
Heros for heroes.
November 6, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Heros for heroes.
Heros for heroes.
November 6, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Heros for heroes.
Just wanted to report that the Declaration of Independence is a banger, actually. Like, it totally slaps, or whatever the kids say these days. 6-7. 10/10. Highly recommend.
October 30, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Just wanted to report that the Declaration of Independence is a banger, actually. Like, it totally slaps, or whatever the kids say these days. 6-7. 10/10. Highly recommend.
I will grant that 18 innings followed by another game the next day *might* qualify as an athletic endeavor.
October 29, 2025 at 1:22 AM
I will grant that 18 innings followed by another game the next day *might* qualify as an athletic endeavor.
Reposted by Manuel America/América Vargas
There will be fewer PhD students admitted to Harvard over the next couple of years...
Harvard Cuts PhD Admissions - Daily Nous
Harvard University is drastically cutting the number of PhD students it is admitting over the next two years. The sciences will see a 75% reduction in new PhD slots, and departments in the arts and hu...
dailynous.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:40 AM
There will be fewer PhD students admitted to Harvard over the next couple of years...
Me as Grad: It is insider exclusionary bs when senior people don't cite
Me as Full Prof: I can't be bothered to cite as everyone already knows who I'm talking about.
Me as Full Prof: I can't be bothered to cite as everyone already knows who I'm talking about.
October 17, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Me as Grad: It is insider exclusionary bs when senior people don't cite
Me as Full Prof: I can't be bothered to cite as everyone already knows who I'm talking about.
Me as Full Prof: I can't be bothered to cite as everyone already knows who I'm talking about.
Reposted by Manuel America/América Vargas
Rest now, bitch face. We have much work yet to do
October 14, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Rest now, bitch face. We have much work yet to do
Going to open up logic and linguistics-themed coffee shop called Ampersand & Conjunction.
October 17, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Going to open up logic and linguistics-themed coffee shop called Ampersand & Conjunction.
Reposted by Manuel America/América Vargas
Humanities majors in free fall in the US: Since 2008, English has declined from 3.8% to 1.7% of Bachelor's degrees awarded, history from 2.5% to 1.2%, foreign lang/lit from 1.9% to 0.9%, and philosophy from 0.6% to 0.4%. 22% of philosophy BAs are awarded by just 20 universities.
October 15, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Humanities majors in free fall in the US: Since 2008, English has declined from 3.8% to 1.7% of Bachelor's degrees awarded, history from 2.5% to 1.2%, foreign lang/lit from 1.9% to 0.9%, and philosophy from 0.6% to 0.4%. 22% of philosophy BAs are awarded by just 20 universities.
Reposted by Manuel America/América Vargas
The great thing about air travel these days is that you never know what to expect
October 15, 2025 at 1:05 PM
The great thing about air travel these days is that you never know what to expect
Reposted by Manuel America/América Vargas
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson calls Sunday's naked bike ride in protest of the Portland ICE facility and and Trump troop deployment "the most threatening thing I’ve seen yet"
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
October 14, 2025 at 11:41 PM
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson calls Sunday's naked bike ride in protest of the Portland ICE facility and and Trump troop deployment "the most threatening thing I’ve seen yet"
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
First cold weather in a while, complete with rain. Suddenly, dark beer seems like an overwhelmingly good idea on a Tuesday.
October 15, 2025 at 12:35 AM
First cold weather in a while, complete with rain. Suddenly, dark beer seems like an overwhelmingly good idea on a Tuesday.
Third message this week from my employer expressing a strong preference that we not espouse political views when we can be recognized as employees of this institution.
Not sure if that means that I can still say that I'm for democracy, broadly construed.
Not sure if that means that I can still say that I'm for democracy, broadly construed.
October 10, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Third message this week from my employer expressing a strong preference that we not espouse political views when we can be recognized as employees of this institution.
Not sure if that means that I can still say that I'm for democracy, broadly construed.
Not sure if that means that I can still say that I'm for democracy, broadly construed.
Dog next door sounds like he has a smoker's bark.
October 5, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Dog next door sounds like he has a smoker's bark.
Very cool event here at UCSD Philosophy: inaugural chair lectures from Brink, Shields, and Callender, celebrating their ascension to endowed chairs. Format is shorter, accessible talks that have an overview-y vibe of a body of work or a current project.
October 4, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Very cool event here at UCSD Philosophy: inaugural chair lectures from Brink, Shields, and Callender, celebrating their ascension to endowed chairs. Format is shorter, accessible talks that have an overview-y vibe of a body of work or a current project.
First day of fall quarter at UCSD is always a spectacle: the requisite skateboarder eating pavement in the middle of pedestrian traffic; the fall fits designed for colder climes than humid 70s weather; and faculty complaining about needing 2-3 more weeks of summer.
September 25, 2025 at 10:04 PM
First day of fall quarter at UCSD is always a spectacle: the requisite skateboarder eating pavement in the middle of pedestrian traffic; the fall fits designed for colder climes than humid 70s weather; and faculty complaining about needing 2-3 more weeks of summer.
Reposted by Manuel America/América Vargas
“Syracuse University paused admission to 20 majors in the College of Arts and Sciences without faculty input” dailyorange.com/2025/09/coll...
College of Arts & Sciences pauses admission to 20 majors amid portfolio review
Syracuse University paused admission into 20 majors in the College of Arts & Sciences without faculty input amid its portfolio review.
dailyorange.com
September 19, 2025 at 2:01 AM
“Syracuse University paused admission to 20 majors in the College of Arts and Sciences without faculty input” dailyorange.com/2025/09/coll...
Getting to the stage in my career where when I see a well-argued paper in a good journal on free will, my inevitable reaction is some version of “Nice enough, but wild that no referee noted that this is just the view of X in 1963, Y in 1988, Z in 2002.” #philsky
September 22, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Getting to the stage in my career where when I see a well-argued paper in a good journal on free will, my inevitable reaction is some version of “Nice enough, but wild that no referee noted that this is just the view of X in 1963, Y in 1988, Z in 2002.” #philsky
Reposted by Manuel America/América Vargas
Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart
September 21, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart
Bad sign that I’m ready to go to bed at 2pm. Letters of rec take a lot out of me, apparently.
September 16, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Bad sign that I’m ready to go to bed at 2pm. Letters of rec take a lot out of me, apparently.
Someday I won't be surprised about this fact: when I'm offline for two days because of a conference, I inevitably have to spend most of day three just replying to emails I neglected while conferencing.
September 14, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Someday I won't be surprised about this fact: when I'm offline for two days because of a conference, I inevitably have to spend most of day three just replying to emails I neglected while conferencing.
Reposted by Manuel America/América Vargas
We must imagine Sisyphus... baking apple crumble
September 10, 2025 at 7:51 PM
We must imagine Sisyphus... baking apple crumble
Collegiate kid just observed that one of the lead actors of Life with the Walter Boys "looks old enough to be a grad student who's running out of funding."
September 9, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Collegiate kid just observed that one of the lead actors of Life with the Walter Boys "looks old enough to be a grad student who's running out of funding."
Reposted by Manuel America/América Vargas
This is a good heuristic for when you should and shouldn’t take academics seriously when they try to intervene in debates outside their specialty.
Do they have respect for the problem?
Do they have respect for the problem?
my favourite slogan - "respect for the problem" backofmind.substack.com/p/respect-fo...
respect for the problem
more wisdom from Will
backofmind.substack.com
September 5, 2025 at 2:35 PM
This is a good heuristic for when you should and shouldn’t take academics seriously when they try to intervene in debates outside their specialty.
Do they have respect for the problem?
Do they have respect for the problem?