Williams philosophy professor: writing isn't as important as we think in the AI era
joshgans · x · 2026-09-30
Joe Cruz, chair of Williams College's philosophy department, argues in a NYT guest essay that universities' belief that students learn to think only through writing rests on thin evidence — and is a fairly recent idea, traceable to the 1970s writing-across-the-curriculum movement. He describes the AI arms race on campus: proctored essay exams, edit-tracking platforms, professors rejoicing at typos as proof of human authorship. Writing, he says, is useful cognitive scaffolding but not the best process for developing thought. Jeremy Gans quotes the piece saying conversation is the best way to think things through, and economist Joshua Gans responds that every journalist and writer will tell you that's how they think.
Related event: Philosophy chair challenges writing as the supreme form of thinking(2 posts)→
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