Disclaimer (I regret any deviation from our usual standards)

Today’s Inside Higher Ed features a report on the brouhaha caused by a special disclaimer that three regular editors of Synthese (a journal focusing on the philosophy of science) slapped on the print edition of a recent guest-edited issue titled “Evolution and Its Rivals.” It appears that the issue did not quite meet with their editorial standards, going so far as to explain that

“the tone and prose should follow the usual academic standards of politeness and respect in phrasing. We recognize that these are not consistently met in this particular issue…. We regret any deviation from our usual standards.”

The issue includes discussions on evolution, creation, and intelligent design, which are certainly hot-button topics. But it was the disclaimer that caused the most furor, with some scholars calling for a boycott of Synthese. There’s no word yet on how the regular editors of the journal will respond.

Might I suggest that they don’t include a disclaimer in their response?


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