From Bookforum's Omnivore blog, another cool collection of links related to philosophy and philosophers. One of the cool papers is by Marc Fleurbaey (Princeton) and Alex Voorhoeve (LSE): On the Social and Personal Value of Existence - here is the abstract.

If a potential person would have a good life if he were to come into existence, can we coherently regard his coming into existence as better for him than his never coming into existence? And can we regard the situation in which he never comes into existence as worse for him? In this paper, we argue that both questions should be answered affirmatively. We also explain where prominent arguments to differing conclusions go wrong. Finally, we explore the relevance of our answers to issues in population ethics.

Regardless of the kind of life a person may have, I know a LOT of people who, given the choice, would choose to never have been born.

How to become a philosopher

Jul 21 2014
9:00AM

• Maxwell Murphey (UC-Riverside): The Unity of Reason and the Metaphysics of Freedom. 
• Adriano N. De Brito (Unisinos): Naturalism versus Philosophy? 
• Marc Fleurbaey (Princeton) and Alex Voorhoeve (LSE): On the Social and Personal Value of Existence. 
• Allan Hazlett (Edinburgh): Truthfulness without Truth. 
• Don Fallis (Arizona): Frankfurt Wasn't Bullshitting! 
• Niels Skovgaard Olsen (Constance): Philosophical Theory-Construction and the Self-Image of Philosophy. 
• Thomas Grundmann (Cologne): Doubts about Philosophy? The Alleged Challenge from Disagreement. 
• Do philosophers talk nonsense? Ian Dearden on an inquiry into the possibility of illusions of meaning; and have philosophical accusations of talking nonsense been treated with unmerited respect? 
• Dreams of reason: Anthony Gottlieb interviewed by Richard Marshall. 
• Philosophy is not dead: Steven Yates on a vision of the discipline's future. 
• Could “national philosophy” be strictly defined research object? 
• From Pop Music and Philosophy, Joseph Len Miller on an example of the distinction between metaphysics ("I'm sexy") and epistemology ("and I know it"); and who says rappers don't know philosophy? 
• Google gets a philosopher to decide who gets "forgotten". 
• Reason and romance, the world’s most cerebral marriage: Derek Parfit and Janet Radcliffe-Richards believe that philosophy should guide behaviour — their marriage shows that it can. 
• What do philosophers do, outside of academia, that is? Rebecca J. Rosen wonders. 
• Have you ever thought you could be just like Aristotle, if you just had the right push? A look at how to become a philosopher. 
• After 54 votes, Germany wins The Critique's philosophy world cup with 18 votes; in second place is Greece with 15 votes (and more).