The September Statement contains a begged question [see Update 2 below]:
We are only declining to volunteer our services to the PGR while it is under the control of Brian Leiter. With a different leadership structure, the benefits of the guide might be achieved without detriment to our colleague.
But are there any (net) benefits of a ranking system (even an improved one)? Some think not:
1) Jessica Wilson ("We need to grab the means of production, and stop looking to others to tell us who and what is of philosophical value.")
2) Mitchell Aboulafia ("Rank-and-Yank: What’s Next for the Philosophy Rankings Game?")
3) Ed Kazarian ("Maybe The Best Rankings Are No Rankings At All")
4) Me ("discussion > ratings > rankings")
Those who don't want rankings can affirm that by commenting below. I'll also allow links (just links please) to other arguments for and against rankings.
I don't want to debate rankings here, or discuss the behavior of the author of the PGR.
- If you want to do the former, you can visit Eric Schliesser's post for the case for rankings, or any of the above links for the case against them.
- [UPDATE: lively discussion at New APPS: "Against ranking"]
- If you want to do the latter, I don't think you'll have any trouble finding places to do that.
[Update: I don't see any conflict between signing both the September and October Statements; several folks below have signed both. Please use your name in commenting though; I don't see the use of accepting pseudonymous "signatures".]
[Update 2: Over at FP, in comment 4, I accept magical ersatz's claim in comment 1 that I'm overstating the "begged question" claim by reading "benefits" in the "September Statement" as "net benefits"]
[Update 3: Sat 4 October, 11 am CDT: We now have 111 signatures.
Here are some other arguments against rankings, and in some cases, proposals for what should replace them:
5) Rebecca Bamford ("There should be no more ranking, and more information gathering and sharing. We should have an honest, inclusive, discussion about ways forward")
6) Megahertz at xcphilosophy ("Merit vs Justice, or why we shouldn't rank philosophy programs")
7) Noelle McAfee ("A search engine for philosophy")
8) Robert Vallier ("Imagine if you will a giant database with a graphic-user interface [in which] every member of the profession would have a Profile with essential career information")
9) Anthony Beavers ("Noesis and the Encyclopedic Internet Vision")