On Professional Philosophy and Its Myths: An Interview with Dr. Spera & Dr. Peña-Guzmán

In this episode, I had the honor and the privilege to interview Dr. Rebekah Spera and Dr. David Peña-Guzmán, regarding their book: Professional Philosophy & Its Myths. Excellent book! I recommend you buy it and read it, and I recommend you ask your local library to purchase a copy also. As I say in the Introduction, these philosophers were willing to go into deep water with me, and they unflinchingly discussed timely, sensitive and very important topics with me. I thank them again! Questions and comments are welcome.

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Link to Purchase Their Book:

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Philosophy-Myths-Rebekah-Spera/dp/1666939714

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Philosophy People Links:

Dr. Spera:

https://philpapers.org/s/Rebekah%20Spera

Dr. Pena-Guzman:

https://philpapers.org/s/David%20M.%20Pe%C3%B1a-Guzm%C3%A1n

Dr. Scalambrino:

https://philpapers.org/s/Frank%20Scalambrino

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The Philosophemes Podcast. Deep roots. Dangerous ideas. The Canon, remixed.

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Chapters

0:00 Introduction and Shared Diagnosis

20:18 Authentic Philosophical Identity or Performance: Myths and the Theater of Institutional Indoctrination

1:13:24 The Unionized Adjunct as Breaker of the White Myth

1:33:49 Merit, Minimum Standards, and the Contradictions of Gatekeeping

2:38:03 Philosophy as Vocation vs. Careerism: Who Gets to Be Called a “Philosopher”?

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If you'd like to read Schopenhauer's thoughts on this topic, as exemplified by his quote: “The vocation of philosophy can only be given by nature, not by the popular vote of bureaucratic administrators at a university.”

~Schopenhauer, “On Philosophy at the Universities,” §31.

Here is a link to my commentary and translation of Schopenhauer's essay:

https://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-at-Universities-Arthur-Schopenhauer/dp/1947674846

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🔗 Questions & Comments Are Welcome:

🧭 https://linktr.ee/philosophemes

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🔗 Links & Support:

📚 Amazon Author Page

https://amzn.to/4cM6nzf

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☠️ The Existentialism Book

http://shepherd.com/book/what-is-existentialism-vol-i

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☕ Coffee? Cheers! (Ko-fi)

https://ko-fi.com/philosophemes

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#AcademicLabor, #AdjunctLife, #HigherEdCrisis, #TenureTrack, #PhilosophyAsVocation, #EducationMatters, #AuthenticPhilosophy, #Merit, #GatekeepingInAcademia, #AcademicElitism, #AcademicTheater, #InstitutionalMyths, #EducationReform

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Some links may be “affiliate links,” which means I may I receive a small commission from your purchase through these links. This helps to support the channel. Thank you.

Editorial, educational, and fair use of images.

© 2025, Frank Scalambrino, Ph.D.

https://evergreenpodcasts.com/the-philosophemes-podcast

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The content presented by The Philosophemes Podcast and The Philosophemes Channel is for educational and editorial purposes only. It should not be considered medical or legal advice. All opini