One of our species’ signature capacities, Deacon argues, is symbol-usage. Symbols permeate our practices to such an extent that even our success in mating depends on our acquiring complex social skills for negotiating symbolically mediated transactions. “Thus,” he avers, “because of symbols and with the aid of symbols, Homo sapiens has been self-domesticated and adapted to a niche unlike any other that ever has existed. We have been made in the image of the word.”

Andy announces his new project, wherein he highlights some of the more interesting new articles in the week's philosophy journals and describes them in a brief podcast.

Sally Haslanger (MIT) has a survey she'd like professional, publishing philosophers to take. Leiter reports on it and provides the link.

Alex Rosenberg's "précis of an argument that naturalism forces upon us a very disillusioned 'take' on reality."

Andy talks about some of the potential uses of Google Wave for philosophers and academics.

Columbia is having their faculty duke it out.

A nice discussion of MA programs in philosophy and who they are for.

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A discussion by Holton (MIT) of some preliminary research on the usefulness of interviews + comments sections looks alive.