Why We Should Doubt that Academic Philosophy Benefits the Broader Public

"A professional philosopher outside the academy walls can act as a popularizer (the goal here is to make philosophy more accessible to the general public), an applied ethicist (the major task is to offer an analysis of various specific moral issues that arise within a society), and a public intellectual (I limit this role to questions that have political connotation). Of course, there are overlaps between these roles and they certainly do not exhaust all possible forms of public engagement of a professional philosopher."

"Despite the potential difficulties this classification faces, I believe that distinguishing between these three roles enables us to single out better the reasons that cast doubt on the benefits of academic philosophy in the public space. When philosophers step outside the ivory tower and address a non-academic audience, it is because they believe they have something to offer to that audience."

Professional philosophers can function publicly as popularizers, applied ethicists, or public intellectuals. Popularizers aim to make philosophical ideas accessible through simpler language. Applied ethicists analyze concrete moral issues within society. Public intellectuals address questions with political connotations. Significant overlaps exist among these roles, and they do not exhaust possible forms of public engagement. Skepticism arises about the public benefits of these roles because of the nature of philosophy as an academic discipline and the current practices within it. When philosophers address non-academic audiences, the interventions do not obviously improve public well-being.

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