Rutgers is reviving its MAP (Minorities and Philosophy) chapter!

What is MAP, you ask? Good question—MAP stands for Minorities and Philosophy, which is an organization aimed at examining and addressing issues of minority participation in academic philosophy. MAP is comprised of and led by students in philosophy departments, and is an international organization with over 60 chapters in 5 regions (US, UK, Canada, & Australia). To date, MAP has organized over 200 events and projects worldwide (MAP website homepage).

It’s an unfortunate but well-documented fact that the discipline of academic philosophy is demographically not a very diverse field—women, racial and ethnic minorities, folks with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ folks are severely underrepresented in philosophy. This is a detriment to our academic community, as well as to philosophy’s contribution both to academia and the world at large. MAP seeks to understand and address the reasons for this deficit, and to make academic philosophy a better place
for members of underrepresented groups.

What sorts of events does MAP organize? The list is long and varied, but in the past MAP chapters have organized roundtables and conferences, reading groups and writing workshops, colloquia and social events that bring together philosophers from a range of departments and academic backgrounds in the interest of creating and sustaining a rich and inclusive community for individuals who are members of underrepresented groups in philosophy.

Interested in joining the Rutgers MAP chapter? If you’re a student at Rutgers and you’re interested in participating in chapter events, you’re more than welcome to attend! And, if you have any questions about the chapter, or about specific events, please feel free to contact one of our MAP chapter organizers (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). We also have a Facebook group that you can access by searching for “Rutgers MAP Chapter”; We use that group to advertise events that we host throughout the year, and to keep chapter members updated about relevant goings-on in the Rutgers Philosophy department, and in the general NY/NJ philosophical community.