4.10 Social and Political

Twelve scatterplots showing which percentage of the articles in each journal in each year are in the category social and political. A brief summary of the data follows. In an average year in Mind, 4.8% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in Mind in 1880 when it accounts for 12.8% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 2003 when it accounts for 0.2% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 7.3% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society in 1943 when it accounts for 24.2% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 1959 when it accounts for 2.0% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in Ethics, 33.2% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in Ethics in 1955 when it accounts for 48.4% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 2003 when it accounts for 12.9% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in Philosophical Review, 7.6% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in Philosophical Review in 1920 when it accounts for 23.9% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 1998 when it accounts for 0.2% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in Analysis, 3.3% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in Analysis in 1973 when it accounts for 9.8% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 1933 when it accounts for 0.2% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in Philosophy and Public Affairs, 39.8% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in Philosophy and Public Affairs in 2013 when it accounts for 60.9% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 1986 when it accounts for 22.7% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in Journal of Philosophy, 8.0% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in Journal of Philosophy in 1952 when it accounts for 17.6% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 2010 when it accounts for 1.5% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 7.5% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research in 1943 when it accounts for 24.9% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 2007 when it accounts for 1.7% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in Philosophy of Science, 5.3% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in Philosophy of Science in 1949 when it accounts for 18.0% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 1988 when it accounts for 0.9% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in Noûs, 3.7% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in Noûs in 1991 when it accounts for 12.3% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 1999 when it accounts for 0.6% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in The Philosophical Quarterly, 6.2% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in The Philosophical Quarterly in 1983 when it accounts for 17.5% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 2001 when it accounts for 1.7% of the articles in the journal. In an average year in British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 3.0% of the articles are in the category social and political. Social and political is most prevalent in British Journal for the Philosophy of Science in 1961 when it accounts for 9.4% of the articles in the journal. And it is least prevalent in 1997 when it accounts for 0.5% of the articles in the journal.

Figure 4.24: Proportion of each journal’s yearly publications in Social and Political Philosophy

With the exception of Philosophy and Public Affairs, the trend seems to be down in every journal. This surprised me a lot. In part this was because the journals stopped publishing work on history and culture. In part it was because the model insisted that life and value, what I thought of as idealist ethics, was really a topic in social and political, not ethics. But in part it was because the study ended before the boom in social and political work in the mid-2010s.

10 scatterplots showing which percentage of the articles in all journals in each year from 1900 onwards are in the each of the topics category social and political. A brief summary of the data follows. In an average year, 1.2% of the articles are in the Marxtopic. Marx is most prevalent in 1948 when it accounts for 4.0% of the articles in all journals. In an average year, 0.7% of the articles are in the egalitarianismtopic. Egalitarianism is most prevalent in 1977 when it accounts for 3.7% of the articles in all journals. In an average year, 0.5% of the articles are in the feminismtopic. Feminism is most prevalent in 1980 when it accounts for 1.4% of the articles in all journals. In an average year, 1.0% of the articles are in the history and culturetopic. History and culture is most prevalent in 1943 when it accounts for 3.7% of the articles in all journals. In an average year, 0.3% of the articles are in the lawtopic. Law is most prevalent in 1968 when it accounts for 1.2% of the articles in all journals. In an average year, 0.9% of the articles are in the liberal democracytopic. Liberal democracy is most prevalent in 1994 when it accounts for 3.2% of the articles in all journals. In an average year, 3.2% of the articles are in the life and valuetopic. Life and value is most prevalent in 1921 when it accounts for 9.9% of the articles in all journals. In an average year, 0.3% of the articles are in the political freedomtopic. Political freedom is most prevalent in 1948 when it accounts for 0.8% of the articles in all journals. In an average year, 0.1% of the articles are in the racetopic. Race is most prevalent in 2013 when it accounts for 0.8% of the articles in all journals. In an average year, 0.6% of the articles are in the wartopic. War is most prevalent in 1985 when it accounts for 3.1% of the articles in all journals.

Figure 4.25: Topics in Social and Political

Table 4.3: Points excluded from topic graph for social and political
Subject Year Frequency
Life and value 1901 0.0806
Life and value 1902 0.0717
Life and value 1904 0.0659
Life and value 1905 0.0681
Life and value 1906 0.0646
Life and value 1909 0.0602
Life and value 1912 0.0602
Life and value 1913 0.0978
Life and value 1915 0.0796
Life and value 1916 0.0776
Life and value 1918 0.0865
Life and value 1919 0.0845
Life and value 1920 0.0987
Life and value 1921 0.0995
Life and value 1922 0.0678
Life and value 1923 0.0827
Life and value 1924 0.0808
Life and value 1925 0.0671
Life and value 1926 0.0719
Life and value 1927 0.0647
Life and value 1931 0.0674

This, I think makes the story about what happened from 1950-2013 make more sense. There was a Rawlsian boom—it shows up clearly in egalitarainism and liberal democracy. There was even a small bit of interest in feminism. But the drop-off of interest in Marx, and in history and culture, more than made up for it. Given how often I’ve heard people complain about the excessive amount of Rawlsiana in the late twentieth-century journals, this was rather of a surprise. Of course, you may think that Marxism, and the French Revolution, were slightly more important subjects of detailed study than A Theory of Justice, no matter how good a book it is.