Stick a fork in her...
...she's done.
Done applying for PhD programs, that is.
Monday, I pick up the next project -- preparing a paper for presentation at one of the universities to which I am applying. They host a graduate student conference in philosophy, and I have been bold enough to send them an abstract for a potential paper of 3,500 words.
If you're interested, click below...
The Modern Workplace: A Place for Philosophy
How does an unacknowledged philosophy of mind affect the way workers are expected, encouraged, and enticed to behave in the workplace? The view of human consciousness expressed in the modern workplace - as distinct from the view overtly espoused in corporate communications - is that the brain is a “hackable” system, and that manipulating the minds of workers to enhance their productivity is a permitted form of worker management. Academic philosophy has an important role to play in 1) modifying this view of the mind, and 2) promoting changes in workplace management and culture that enhance human integrity, dignity, and freedom. This paper describes and provides examples of the “hack the mind” approach, from the manipulation of the behavior of Uber drivers, through corporate “wellness” programs, to efforts that - perhaps unintentionally - attempt to co-opt civic engagement by workers. It posits some sources for this unacknowledged philosophy of mind, and suggests some points of engagement through which academic philosophers can work to change this view. Finally, it suggests that such engagement is an appropriate accompaniment to more overt forms of activism.
The nerve of me!