UTOPISM. *** In the long run, nothing else is realistic. *** Welcome to the English language blog of Morten Tønnessen, Professor of philosophy at University of Stavanger's Department of Social Studies.
Today I have had an article writing day devoted to contributing to the article "Friluftsliv in therapeutic residential care: Taking adolescents out to find a way in" which I co-write with Joakim Jiri Haaland, with some 350 words added to the text. I also received and considered a book contract offer for my book Captured: CCS and the fight for the soul of the environmental movement. So far this Spring I have had 37 writing days.
In April, I logged 5.161 words written.
The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness, which I have signed, although after it was launched April 19th (I was not among the initial signatories), has been getting extensive media coverage in major news outlets, most of it before my signature was added to the list of signatories on April 23rd. This includes:
Scientists push new paradigm of animal consciousness, saying even insects may be sentient (NBC News, April 19th)
It’s ‘irresponsible’ to ignore widespread consciousness across animal world, dozens of scientists argue (The Hill, April 19th)
Consciousness a ‘realistic possibility’ in birds, fish, squid and bees, scholars say (The Globe and Mail, April 22nd)
Scientists believe insects may have feelings (BBC, April 22nd)
Some scientists say insects are conscious – it doesn't settle anything (New Scientist, April 23rd - paywall)
See also:
"New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness" signed (April 23)
Today I have responded to language washing / proofs of the article "Hva Arne Næss kan lære oss om økonomifagets tverrfaglighet" (What Arne Næss can teach us about the interdisciplinary nature of economics), which I have co-written with Jan Karlstrøm and Thomas Hylland Eriksen and which will appear in issue 1/2, 2024, of Norsk Filosofisk Tidsskrift.
Today I have given what has turned out to be the fifth and last lecture in ethics in the University of Stavanger course "Lovgivning og etikk". The focus was occupational ethics in the context of psychology, and the ethics of coercion.
I have signed the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness, which was launched April 19th 2024 at New York University. See also an informative background text. PS: I was not among the initial signatories.
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The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness
Which animals have the capacity for conscious experience? While much uncertainty remains, some points of wide agreement have emerged.
First, there is strong scientific support for attributions of conscious experience to other mammals and to birds.
Second, the empirical evidence indicates at least a realistic possibility of conscious experience in all vertebrates (including reptiles, amphibians, and fishes) and many invertebrates (including, at minimum, cephalopod mollusks, decapod crustaceans, and insects).
Third, when there is a realistic possibility of conscious experience in an animal, it is irresponsible to ignore that possibility in decisions affecting that animal. We should consider welfare risks and use the evidence to inform our responses to these risks.
According to Google Scholar - cf. my profile - my research has to date attracted 1.100 citations (+17 since March 21st), including 41 in 2024 (+10 since March 21st). My h-index remains 19 and my i10-index 37.
WIth 54 citations (+3 since March 21st), the book Semiotic agency: Science beyond mechanism, which I co-wrote with Alexei Sharov, is now my second most cited text (up from shared #3 spot March 21st, #4 March 8th and #9 January 3rd).
I passed the last +100 in the total citations count on December 5th 2023, i.e. about 5 months ago (see link below).
See also:
Google Scholar: 1000 citations; updated Google Scholar history (December 5th 2023)
As part of my upcoming Erasmus exchange to Italy and Slovenia I will be giving two lectures at University of Trento, in Trento.
On Thursday May 9th at 4-6 p.m., I will give a lecture for ph.d. students titled ”Semiotic agency and the Anthropocene”.
On Friday May 10th (exact time not known) I will give a lecture for BA students on the perspective of the Anthropocene and what it says about humans´ place in nature, in a philosophical anthropology course.
