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Editorial
Philosophy New
Rick Lewis & Mark Daniels unveil this magazine’s new look…
This page is one which I generally use to pontificate about some aspect of philosophy, but this time I’m going to ask for even more tolerance on your part and update you on recent developments at Philosophy Now instead. It is now seven years since Philosophy Now was launched, with the twin aims of bridging the gaping crevass between university-based philosophy and the wider public, and of providing a good, enjoyable read for any thoughtful soul who happened to pick it up. The last few months have been among our busiest so far.
Firstly, we decided that the time had come for a more sophisticated look, as you may have noticed. Therefore this is a relaunch issue. The magazine now has a new structure, including a regular interview spot, a summary article giving an overview of current activity in one area of philosophy, and its very own columnist (Peg Tittle from Canada). We’ve also had a complete redesign by professional page-designer and part-time philosophical cartoonist Nick Parker. Redesigns of magazines aren’t always popular with their readers, but we hope you’ll like this one. If you don’t, do feel free to fill our correspondence columns with abuse and vituperation, but at the same time bear in mind that our Nick is a sensitive soul, easily hurt, and with strong Mafia connections. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Certain purists among you will say that it is a waste of time for a philosophy magazine to worry about page design. Content is what matters, not form; if this magazine was produced on an ancient typewriter with a wonky ‘e’, then photocopied onto toilet paper, it wouldn’t bother them at all. While I admire the integrity of this standpoint, there is little point in producing a magazine to popularise philosophy if nobody has a chance to read it, and to be displayed by the big retail chains Philosophy Now really does have to look as slick as the style-obsessed citizens of the nineties have come to expect. Therefore, enjoy the new design without feeling any niggling Puritan guilt about the frivolous luxury of it!
These days, more than a third of Philosophy Now readers live in the United States or Canada, and though we have been receiving interesting articles from North America in greater and greater numbers, all the editing has been done in Britain. Over the last few months we’ve been talking to a group of professional philosophers in the U.S. who share our desire to see a successful philosophy magazine for the educated public and had actually been agitating for some time for the establishment of something like Philosophy Now. The result is the formation of a US Editorial Board for Philosophy Now, to complement the efforts of the existing team here in dear old Blighty, and a huge influx of new ideas which will be reflected in future issues. (For more information, see p.6)
The goodwill and interest expressed by so many talented people in recent months does seem to offer the chance to build Philosophy Now into a really decent popular philosophy magazine for all the Englishspeaking countries, not just for Britain. But despite these momentous (to us) developments, there is little danger of Philosophy Now transmogrifying into some bland corporate product or ‘publication by committee’. The enthusiasm and philosophical skill offered by our new American friends will continue to be tempered by the qualities of the UK editorial team who are all, to varying extents and in various ways, as crazy as coots. Fortunately, Philosophy Now’s essential character is determined, even more than with most magazines, by its readers and contributors, two groups which overlap.
As the magazine grows, the handful of perspiring fanatics who labour frenetically by candlelight to produce it are finding that the number of tasks they have to perform grows apace. We are seeking volunteers to help in a number of different areas, including (1) running our Internet site (2) editing the philosophy news pages and (3) interviewing the philosophical good and great. If you are willing, and feel qualified, to help us out in any of these ways, do please get in touch!
As Philosophy Now exists to draw people into philosophical debate, we were delighted to hear about the growth of philosophy cafés in France – places where the public can meet for a coffee and a spot of philosophical debate. So over the last few months we’ve been doing our best to help establish this excellent innovation in the English-speaking world too. In London, we’ve started running a series of Pub Philosophy evenings, and we’ll be reporting on those and on other philosophy cafés in a regular section of the magazine.
Many thanks to all our regular readers and contributors for supporting us so loyally for so long – we hope you approve of our various innovations. What are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? Please complete the reader survey or, alternatively, come to the Pub Philosophy and tell us over a beer!