In the next series of posts, I want think through Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program. This series is part of my broader project on Hannah Arendt's conception of the rootlessness of refugees, the condition in which refugees are uprooted from their geographic, cultural, and political homes. In this post, I want to ask a few questions about the conceptual work "the private" is doing in PSR using Arendt's view of the public/private distinction. In later posts, I want to … [Read more...]
Reflections on accountable research in philosophy
What is a philosopher's accountability for their research? To whom am I accountable as a researcher? My philosophical research tends to focus on current social and political issues (for example, Canadian policy and surrogacy or organizational diversity). Despite being embedded philosophically in applied problems, I'm still attracted to "armchair philosophy." This term often refers to a philosopher who primarily relies on their intuitions rather than information about the world. I imagine this … [Read more...]
Responsibility and Travel Bans
What is my responsibility in relation to traveling to the US? The travel ban and Canadian boycotts In the executive order issued by US President Trump on January 27, citizens of Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Syria cannot enter the United States for three months. Refugees from Syria cannot enter the United States—for an indefinite period. On February 8 the ninth circuit court of appeals upheld the suspension of this executive order. Some Canadians won’t be traveling to the … [Read more...]