





The art world has a phenomenon known as outsider artists -- artists who don't emerge via what Arthur Danto has called the art world (art schools, galleries etc.) but seemingly come in from the outside. This inevitably leads to debates about who is really an outsider, whether they remain outsiders or get absorbed into the art world, and of course just how much recognition they should get. Is there a similar phenomenon of outsider philosophers?

In the photos above I've given some examples to spur discussion. Is Angela Davis (top) really an outsider? (She studied under Marcuse and has held philosophy positions; perhaps she is an insider?). Is Timothy Leary (bottom right) a philosopher? He described himself as America's MVP -- most valuable philosopher. And would Lucy Parsons (bottom left) even consider herself a philosopher? Well, I know some Chicago anarchists that would, and the Chicago police once described her as more dangerous that a thousand rioters, so there's that.

So are there outsider philosophers? Who are they? Are they worth reading? Are they worth reading qua philosophers? Discuss.