Faculty

Tracy Llanera: Beyond the Ghetto

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Congratulations to Associate Professor Tracy Llanera, who has a new public piece published in Beyond the Ghetto. “Well-Played: A Commentary on Professional Philosophy,” originates from the short talk Llanera gave at World Philosophy Day Event: Metaphilosophy Workshop organized by the Philosophy Graduate Student Association (PGSA) and the UConn Department of Philosophy.

The essay is a part of a special issue in metaphilosophy, including contributions by members of Women Doing Philosophy, a global feminist organization of Filipino philosophers that also operates Beyond the Ghetto. A short excerpt from Llanera’s article can be found below:

There are two prominent ways of practicing professional philosophy in the twenty-first century. … The way I see it, philosophy is either played like a game or staged as a drama.

You can read the full series, including Dr. Llanera’s piece, here. 

Congratulations, Tracy!

Philosophy and Global Affairs Vol. 4, no. 2

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Please check out the newest issue of Volume 4 of the Philosophy and Global Affairs journal edited by Professors Jane Gordon and Lewis Gordon of the political science and philosophy departments respectively.

You can read a statement from Lewis about the contents of the journal below:

“[This issue] includes essays on feminist conceptions of anger in philosophy and religious thought from renowned feminist philosopher Noelle Leslie dela Cruz and renowned feminist scholar of religious thought Judith Plaskow, an essay on postcolonial archives by Benjamin P. Davis, a tribute by Jane Anna Gordon to sociologist and philosopher Paget Henry, an article by Larry Alan Busk on Amílcar Cabral on the distinction between the people and the population, an article by Benjamin Stumpf on the underground newsletter The Red Dragon, an article by Derefe Kimarley Chevannes on decolonizing Caribbean modernity, followed by a symposium on Alena Wolflink’s Claiming Value: The Politics of Priority from Aristotle to Black Lives Matter, and three book reviews.”

A big thank you to UConn’s Global Affairs for their continued generous support.

 

You can read the newest issue here.

 

Tracy Llanera: Institute of Art and Ideas – London

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Check out Associate Professor Tracy Llanera’s newest piece, “Everything doesn’t happen for a reason: The myth of modern stoicism.” You can check out the piece on IAI’s website for free.

Below is an excerpt of the article:

When I was younger, hearing “everything happens for a reason” while lying face-down in the muck made me uncomfortable. Now, it sets me off. The reason is simple: the idea that every little thing is set in stone is a morally misguided philosophy. It suggests that all kinds of pain and suffering are unavoidable, that the injustices and cruelties plaguing our short lives are not only inescapable but in some ludicrous way even deserved, and that there’s nothing we can do differently as human beings to change our fate. These are the loaded claims behind “it’s meant to be” and “it is what it is,” colloquialisms of fatalist, unreflective stoicism tendered by well-meaning souls.

Congratulations, Tracy!

Michael Lynch: Psychology Today

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In preparation for the launch of his new book On Truth in Politics: Why Democracy Demands It, Professor Michael Patrick Lynch has written two articles on Psychology Today addressing the state of political truth in modern democracy.

 

His first article, “Why Does Everything Seem Political?” defines and discusses political meaning:

Political meaning, in particular, emerges from the associations communities attach to things. Politics is an activity aimed at resolving collective problems among communities. It reflects the perceived contributions of actions, objects, or ideas to political debates. In this sense, political meaning is all about perception.

 

While his second article, “Has Meta’s Fact-Checking Exit Put Truth at Risk?” directly confronts media company Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp) newest decision that will end anti-disinformation programs across their sites:

In its recent announcement, Meta declared that it is ending its anti-disinformation program, stating a commitment to “more speech and fewer mistakes” (Meta, 2025). Given the size and global reach of their platforms, this is not just a blow against systematic and professional fact-checking online; it is a blow against the very idea of fact-checking—and that’s a problem for democracy.

 

You can pre-order his new book, On Truth in Politics: Why Democracy Demands It on Bookshop or Amazon.

Congratulations, Michael!

On Truth in Politics: Why Democracy Demands It

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Michael Patrick Lynch, Author

Princeton University Press, 2025

Do any of us really care about truth when it comes to politics? Should we? In a world of big lies, denialism, and conspiracy theories, democracies are experiencing two interlocked crises: a loss of confidence in democracy itself and the growing sense among many that politics is only about power—not truth. In this book, Michael Patrick Lynch argues that truth not only can—but must—matter in politics. He shows why truth is an essential democratic value—a value we need to sustain our democratic way of life—and how it can be strengthened.

Despite evidence that people are rarely motivated by truth when it comes to politics, On Truth in Politics argues that this isn’t inevitable. Accessibly written and rigorously argued, it draws on the American pragmatist tradition to develop an original theory of the nature and value of truth in the messy world of politics. Contrary to the belief of many, political beliefs can be true or false. But if democracy is to continue to be a space of reason and not just an arena of power, we must build a better infrastructure of knowledge, including stronger schools and media, and renew our commitment to science and history.

A vital and timely book, On Truth in Politics makes an original case for why democracy cannot survive without truth.

Book cover of Michael Lynch's book On Truth In Politics: Why Democracy demands it

Ting-an Lin: Common Curriculum Grant

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Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Philosophy Ting-an Lin, whose two new course proposals, “Markets, Ethics, and Society” and “Ethics of Technology and Engineering,” were recently awarded the new Common Curriculum Grant. This grant supplies funding to faculty members who are creating courses that will be implemented into the new Common Curriculum for Leadership and Global Citizenship.

 

The Common Curriculum program, slated for a Fall 2025 introduction, provides students with a foundation for future learning. Ensuring that all students at the University of Connecticut are literate in many different types of knowledge, the Common Curriculum allows for students to enter society with a strong sense of moral and social responsibility.

Jane Gordon: “Creolising the State?”

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We are thrilled to share that our affiliated faculty member and Professor in Political Science, Jane Gordon, has recently published an article titled “Creolising the State?” in Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory. This prestigious journal is one of the top publications in the field, both in South Africa and globally.

You can read the article here: Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Gordon on this incredible achievement!

Dorit Bar-On: APA 2025 Pacific Division Meeting

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At this year’s APA Pacific Division Meeting, Professor of Philosophy Dorit Bar-On will be holding an Author Meets Critics session on her recently published book, Expression and Self-Knowledge. This book, co-authored by Crispin Wright, was published as part of Wiley-Blackwell’s Great Debates in Philosophy series. An excerpt from the book’s description can be found below:

In Expression and Self-Knowledge, Dorit Bar-On and Crispin Wright articulate their joint dissatisfaction with extant accounts of self-knowledge and engage in a sustained and substantial critical debate over the merits of an expressivist approach to the topic. The authors incorporate cutting-edge research while defending their own alternatives to existing approaches to so-called ‘first-person privilege’.

In addition, one of our incredible graduate students, Michael Hegarty, has also been invited to chair the session.

The meeting will be held in San Francisco, California starting on April 16th and through April 19th.

Congratulations, Dorit and Michael!

William Lycan on Mind, Meaning, and Method

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Mitchell Green, Co-editor

Palgrave MacMillan, 2024

William Lycan is an internationally renowned American philosopher whose work since the late 1960s has been not only extensive but also influential, particularly in the areas of philosophy of mind, epistemology, philosophy of language, metaphysics, and more recently metaphilosophy. This contributed volume features high-quality contributions by prominent or up-and-coming philosophers who critically examine many aspects of Lycan’s work; it also contains an essay by Lycan responding to these contributions. In this way, not only is the importance of William Lycan’s work appreciated, it is also made accessible for further research. The book is also suitable for teaching purposes at universities.

Cover of William Lycan on Mind, Meaning, and Method.