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Among the pleasures of editing these pages is the opportunity to keep abreast of the growth of high-quality philosophy resources on the Internet. Now comes further proof that the Net is increasingly being viewed as a mainstream venue for philosophy. Among the newest resources is one which promises to become indispensable for those pursuing philosophy both on and off the Net, The Philosphers Web Magazine.
After a visit to the still unfinished but, nonetheless, impressive site, I asked the editors for their thoughts about their undertaking, its rationale, and what lies ahead for it. Julian Baggini (a Ph.D. in philosophy from University College, London) describes the genesis of the magazine as follows: "The idea for the magazine literally came in an instant. I was walking around Finsbury Park, North London, and it dawned on me that no-one was producing a magazine of philosophy which presented quality philosophical debate in an accessible format, and that I wanted to be the person who would start one." Baggini views the magazine as a means of bringing the practice of philosophy to the wider audience beyond academic circles. "The overall goal of the magazine is to bridge the gap between the high-powered philosophy going on in academia and the rest of us, and to encourage an ongoing conversation between them," he says. "We try to encourage an interactive and interdisciplinary approach, so, for example, in our open debate, you get nonprofessionals, sociologists and lawyers engaging with philosophers." There is also an instructional purpose in the publication's rationale. "For the non-academic reader interested in philosophy, of which there are many," says Baggini, "it provides a gateway into philosophy, with articles that are of interest in their own right and which suggest further avenues to explore. For students, it provides background to their studies, and in particular Go To Page: 1 2 |
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