We said it in the welcome blurb, but were apparently not clear enough: this site is independent of any philosophical associations. Nevertheless, some folks still insist on referring to the site as, among other things, ‘the SAAP guide.’ Jacquelyn Kegley, the current president of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, has kindly asked one prominent person who suffers from this habit to stop. When that got her nowhere, she shared with us the letter she used to make the request. We thought we’d share it here, along with the following, more elaborate attempt at a disclaimer. Everything we say below about SAAP applies, mutatis mutandis, to SPEP and any other organization you care to name. In fact, SPEP has now added language to their site affirming their independence as well.

(Another) DISCLAIMER: Some individual members of SAAP and SPEP have been supportive of our efforts (some were not), and several were kind enough to sign on to our American Philosophy or Continental advisory board (while others refused). But SAAP and SPEP members differ widely over the scope and meaning of their shared preoccupations, and were not in any case ever given any opportunity to weigh in as a collective on our project, our method, or our results. This site was not created by, and does not exist to serve the interests of, any professional philosophical association. Would the assembled membership of SAAP or SPEP endorse our results? We have no idea, and we don’t care. (But if we had to guess? We doubt it.)

Professor Brian Leiter
Karl N. Llewellyn Professor of Jurisprudence,
Director Center for Law and Human Values
The University of Chicago Law School
1111 60^th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637

Dear Professor Leiter,

It has come to my attention that on your Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog you are referring to the recently issued “Pluralist Guide to Philosophy Programs” as the “SPEP/SAAP Guide.”  Please be advised that this Guide is not officially sponsored nor was it created by the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy.  Some of the individuals who created and are promoting the guide are members of SAAP and, as I assume, also members of SPEP.

In the spirit of the promotion of integrity and responsibility I request that you correct this false impression on your Blog and in any other reference to the Guide.

Thank you very much.

Jacquelyn Ann K. Kegley
SAAP President 2010-2012

Jacquelyn Ann K. Kegley
Chair, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies,
California State University, Bakersfield
9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, California 93311-1099
CSU Outstanding Professor of Philosophy
Wang Award for Outstanding Teaching, Research and Service
jkegley@csub.edu