The Philosophers' Cocoon

4 responses to “Thoughts on interdisciplinarity?”

1. Anonymous

   June 25, 2026

   Things might be changing, but I think interdisciplinary profiles/work often strike many philosophers as “not philosophy”. I had this experience on the job market some years ago. One paper I used for job talks numerous times in one year (since published in a leading specialty journal, and now among the top 2 % of the cited articles in that journal), often led to questions about its philosophical significance. According to the Web of Science, 35 % of my papers are either interdisciplinary or published in another discipline. I have enjoyed my career, and have a strong research record, but in other ways my interdisciplinary work has not helped my career. So do it because you like to do it, or because the questions that interest you require it. There are very high start up costs in terms of time. etc. to properly engage in interdisciplinary research.

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2. Anonymous

   June 25, 2026

   On the job market my experience has been, speaking very generally, that an interdisciplinary profile sells better in Europe than North America (sorry to leave out the rest of the world but I don’t have enough experience). Especially in central Europe, most philosophical research is grant funded and interdisciplinarity goes over well with funding agencies that evaluate proposals across disciplines. In contrast, traditional American analytic research departments may view it as suspicious if your work doesn’t seem “philosophical enough.”

   More than interdisciplinarity per se, it seems to help if your work can connect to a trendy topic and if you can massage the presentation of your philosophical approach for particular audiences.

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3. interdisciplinary anon

   June 25, 2026

   I do interdisciplinary work and have published in a range of disciplines’ journals (some quite good ones) in my specific corner of interests. Over the past 5 years on the market, committees often tell me how impressed they are with that. On multiple flyouts I’ve been told how departments really need someone to bridge between the philosophy department and the rest of campus for enrollment and various other reasons, which of course, interdisciplinarity lends to in a concrete, demonstrable way, which is why I’m flown out, so they say. I am still on the job market and those jobs ended up going to more ‘pure’ philosopher-types (and very good, deserving ones at that – no shade on them). So, be careful to mind peoples words and then their actions when it comes to the job market. My advice is that when in doubt, if you want a philosophy job, you don’t want any doubts about how ‘philosopher’ you are.

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4. Anonymous

   June 25, 2026

   I had a visit this year in a Humanities Department, and despite the fact that I consider myself a humanist who draws on literature, history, film, and cultural studies in their work I still felt like the committee (which contained 0 philosophers) were not fully buying what I felt to be legitimately selling as to the non-narrow, interdisciplinary focus of my work & teaching. I won’t stop pursuing the work I do, of course (which I think is genuinely interdisciplinary). But yeah, not sure it’ll work on the market.

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