"I don't think a lot of our junior faculty became converted to Quine and Dreben's thought," Korsgaard says. "People who were here went on to be distinguished philosophers elsewhere."

The Free Agent Market

On the latter point, Leiter concurs-his second critique of Harvard involved its policy towards its junior faculty. He cites Harvard's traditionally draconian tenure procedures, in which promising doctoral students and junior faculty are encouraged to make their reputations elsewhere and then return to the University and receive tenure, as a complementary reason for the department's loss of stature.

Until about ten years ago, the Philosophy Department did not offer traditional junior faculty positions, which come up for tenure review after eight years, but instead offered three-year appointments known as "folding chairs."

"The University was being so difficult, they decided it was unfair to make [junior faculty] think they had a chance," Heck said.

Even after this system was phased out, the two candidates whom the department recommended for tenure in the 1990s were rejected by the University.

Most philosophy faculty agree that Harvard's tenure policies have cost the department.

"If you were to make a list of Harvard's offers that were turned down, if half had come, we'd be in the top tier," said McCann, who held a folding chair from 1975 to 1978. "If you look at the roster of people at Princeton, most were graduate students in [Harvard's] department...If Harvard can reverse its past and see the value in keeping its very talented but not-yet-eminent faculty, they'll have a better future."