QnA Philosophical Research Writing for a Global Audience

Okay, everyone offer because of time constraints, we have time for about three questions. However, tomorrow when we are fortunate to have a face-to-face session in the panel discussion in the afternoon, we can also ask Dr. Harrison to join in. So, she it's going to be a better engagement when we see each other face-to-face. Okay, so if anyone wants to ask question then you just kindly raise your hand and I will call you. Okay, so while we're waiting uh you mentioned Dr. Harrison that you went to Macau in search of uh you know, something like more engagement, right? Did you find it? Okay. >> [laughter] >> Yes, uh absolutely. Um yeah, um no question about it and the part of the the other reason why I went was because I thought having a wider range of conversation partners would actually make me a a better philosopher. And I think that that's true. Just the the shock of talking about something that's familiar and finding out that people have uh entirely different views, entirely different assumptions come at it from very different angles. Whereas in a philosophical community where pretty much everyone's had the same training um it's so much more predictable. >> And uh I I think unlike uh Hong Kong, right, which is uh which was a British colony, uh Macau was under the the Portuguese, right? So, >> Yeah. >> Would that have any impact? I mean, if if you went to Hong Kong, since you probably see a lot of British-trained people there. But, when you went to Macau, was there a you think a difference in terms of the way they they, uh, they thought or philosophized, the way they >> Well, both places attracts international community of scholars. Um, so, yeah, probably Hong Kong has got more British and American overall. But, um, Macau Yeah, it it's got Chinese scholars, Asian scholars from all over Asia. Uh, as you said, Portuguese, but more often from Portuguese former Portuguese colonies. Um, yeah. So, a lot of international variation. But, also in the the student body and the the PhD students, they come from all over with very different trainings, uh, very different interests, and very different expectations. >> So, you have a diverse, uh, set of students for your graduate programs, or I mean, for your department in philosophy. Diverse. >> Yes. Yeah, very diverse. Yeah. Yeah. >> Now, you have Filipinos there in the graduate program? >> I did. Um, I I had a excellent Filipino PhD student who graduated like just about 12 months ago. >> Okay. Wow. >> Yeah, he's he's now working in the P&G. >> Okay, that's nice. That's nice to hear. Okay. Uh, I we have a we have a question here from, again, from Mr. Cueto. I think he has a he had a question for everyone. So, >> [laughter] >> it's only fitting that he has a question for Dr. Harrison, no? Go ahead, Mr. Cueto. Go ahead. >> Uh hi, Professor Harrison. Um I was wondering how it would go for books cuz um in my experience um writing like when I when I try to read a philosophical article compared to a book the questions are different. It's no longer particular and it's it's a some sort of way that transcends the very questions we ask. Like being in time, Heidegger, and sometimes the the the clarity isn't there. Like I Hegel is not clear in his works, but it's still important, but I would like to uh inquire to that and how we can balance it with uh establishing uh contributing in philosophy cuz um there are also works like in Adorno. I don't understand him, but it's famous. Zizek and all those continental people. So, yeah. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, I think in all those cases the authors could have done more to to make their work welcoming to readers. Because in all those cases you actually require a very special kind of training to read the books in the first place. Uh so, it's a a barrier to access. But, specifically, if we're thinking about um give early career researchers they really don't want to be writing books that readers find it difficult to read. Yeah, they they could do that later when they've established a reputation and and people already have a motivation to read what they write. But at the beginning I would suggest clarity. >> Okay, we have one last question here from Mr. Alberto Rotacio Jr. So Mr. Rotacio, you can ask your question. >> Um >> Good afternoon, Dr. Uh Harrison. I'm Alberto M. Rotacio Jr., a graduate scholar from Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University. Um you mentioned before that in the presentation, the concept of bayani hand, which is a concept towards the collective practices relationality in the Philippines. And my questions is do you perhaps use this in your philosophical public publication or inquiry or just an example for your presentation? Thank you so much for >> Yeah, thank you for asking. Um it was an example for the presentation. So I wanted to to find find some way of connecting a concept that wasn't usually brought into a particular kind of discussion just to demonstrate that that move from topic into philosophical question. That was the the key point. But it but I in the in the course of actually preparing the presentation, I did get very interested in the concept. >> Yeah, sometimes I I encounter that during dissertation proposals. They some graduate students use Bayanihan in their papers. Okay. Yeah. But I'm sure other cultures also practice that. I mean, I'm sure it's not just a Filipino thing. Uh here I got a message from our project director. She said that I can ask more you can ask more questions. Okay, so uh because that's we had three questions already. So if anyone else wants to ask, please uh Uh here's a here's a phone-in question. Okay, I mean [laughter] somebody messaged me now, how should one handle rejections? I think that's a very good question. >> Mhm. Um yeah, I think the first thing is don't lose heart. Um some some rejections can be quite mean. And they you read the the reports and you think that the person just hasn't taken time to read the work, hasn't understood what I'm trying to do. And the it's just not fair. That does happen. Uh there's nothing to do about it. You you just you move on. But you should also get some rejections where the reviewer has taken time to give really constructive feedback. So my advice is don't just ignore that because you're upset about getting rejected. But if the reviewer has bothered to give you a good account of the reasons, then take that seriously and pay attention. Rewrite according to the good objections, good suggestions, and then just keep trying. It's not unusual to have to send a paper to several journals, go through several rounds of revision, but don't take it personally. It's just part of the job. >> I just a follow up to that, Dr. Harrison. Now, with your record of uh um publishing lots of papers from in different uh journals, have you ever received a really because background just a friend of mine from the Department of Mathematics shared that sometimes reviewers would comment like, "What do you think of our journal? Your your submission is crap." or something like that. "Do you think we're some sort of like a low-level journal?" So, it's it gets to be personal sometimes. So, have you ever encountered that in your career? That uh the rejection seemed very personal and very derogatory. Have you ever encountered that? And uh >> No. I think if that does happen, um I would complain to the editor. >> Okay, well, that's nice. That's good to hear. Okay, at least we know that's an option. So, yeah. [laughter] Okay. >> Yeah, there's there's probably not much an editor could do, but but they would um I presume they would just not use that reviewer again. >> Okay. >> Um yeah. >> Yeah. >> But this this should never be personal. >> Yes. >> Never insulting. >> That's uh that's uh good to hear. That's a good That's good advice, ma'am. So, we have another question from uh Mr. Rommel Villena. Mr. Rommel, can I ask your question, please? >> Hi, Dr. Harrison. Uh it's so nice to hear a British accent teaching philosophy. Lovely. Yeah. My question is a brief one because I know there's a lot of uh philosophy majors who have undergrad masters or PhD career. Could you give us a hint or advice how to future proof a philosophy career? Yes, thank you. Thank you. >> Yeah, it's a very it's a difficult question to to answer quickly because the as we all know fate can intervene. We we can't completely future proof. But I think what we can do is try to stack the odds by doing things like attending conferences building networks becoming known for certain kinds of work um publishing as as best we can even in undergraduate journals, postgraduate journals, just building up a network. People that read our work, people that we are in conversation with. So when openings come up then maybe people think of us. It's yeah, just be be proactive. I think it's it's gone long past the time when someone could just retreat and work on a dissertation in the library for six years and not communicate with anyone and then walk out with a PhD and expect a job. Yeah, we we have to become part of the community of scholars as effectively and and quickly as we can. >> Mhm. Yeah. Thank you very much. >> wish I had more to say. >> Thank you. Well, uh I get I have one last question here. It's uh from a person who wants to remain anonymous, no? Uh I hope you can still accommodate this, Dr. Harrison. Uh he's asking, "What can you say about essays written with the help of artificial intelligence? Is this frowned upon in philosophy publications?" >> Mhm. Yeah, I I considered including something about that in the talk, but I already had too much. Um I I think there is a a danger which I'm seeing increasingly as an editor. Um people are relying too much on having AI just polish up papers, um create abstracts. And as an editor, I I think I've got a sense of of when that's happening. And when I see it, um it just gives a very negative impression. Because you when it when AI is is not used well, you get the sense that you're not really getting an authentic voice. It It's It's a difficult thing to quite explain that the writing might be uh it might seem perfect, so no grammatical mistakes, but there's just it's as if it has no soul, if I can put it that way. Um you don't see the person behind the writing. And >> you can easily detect that uh without using any tool. You you personally can easily >> But yes, um and it I'm sure in some cases I can't. And and there are there are different ways of using AI. It's it's fine if you're just using it to give a light polish, a final proofreading. But, things that are that are more more fully generated by AI, I I think if it's not done with great skill, it it it is obvious. Um so these things get very little editorial attention. And >> some students are resorting to AI to write their papers for them. >> Yeah, but it it's that looks superficially good. But, the yeah, the the AI is not always a reliable philosopher. And >> we Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead, ma'am. Go ahead. >> It doesn't help, especially younger scholars to develop their own authentic voice if they're just happy with something that appears to imitate the way that philosophy is done by someone else. >> That's good. I agree with you, yeah. Thank you very much. Okay, uh uh I hope the project director doesn't get mad at me. But, Mr. Santillan, if you can summarize your question, I'll allow your question for Dr. Heirson. One last question, okay? Mr. Froilan Santillan, if you can uh uh unmute and summarize, we can have one last question. Okay, go ahead. Go ahead, sir. >> Thank you, sir. Thank you po. Uh doc, you've been writing so if I summarize my question is what inspires you to go on in contributing to the body of knowledge or maybe your own intention why you've been writing. That's my question. >> Yeah, >> [laughter] >> there's only one one word really. I just love doing it. Um it's for me doing this is is the best thing ever. Um professionally yeah, get getting paid to think and to write and having people read my work and react to it. So it's it's just an amazing privilege. So yeah, I I do it out of love. Um if it was just a job then I would I probably wouldn't >> [laughter] >> retire. >> [gasps] >> And the the best thing really in the profession from my point of view is teaching, seeing my my PhD students learning the skill and helping them to to come to academic maturity, to be able to participate as as full members of the community of scholarship. That's that's just amazing. >> Thank you very much, Dr. Harrison. I'm sure the participants here are excited to see you personally tomorrow and to talk to you some more and ask you their questions, but I