Let’s say that one 'publishes for the cycle' when and only when one publishes a stand-alone, single- or multi-authored article in each of The Philosophical Review, Noûs, Mind, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, and The Journal of Philosophy, informally and semi-formally recognized as academic philosophy's "Top 5" generalist journals.
Think of a philosopher publishing for the cycle like a baseball player “hitting for the cycle”, or hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in one game. Hitting for the cycle isn’t the best thing a player can do for their team (Cf. hitting four home runs), but it’s impressive in its own way.
This website displays philosophers' cycles and a ranking of philosophy departments in terms of them.
| Rank | Institution | Cyclers | Total Cycles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Univ. of Southern California (USC) | Gallow (1), Hawthorne (4), Russell (1) | 6 |
| 02 | University of Colorado, Boulder | Huemer (1), Pasnau (1) | 2 |
| 02 | New York University (NYU) | Hopkins (1), Mandelkern (1) | 2 |
| 02 | Princeton University | Johnston (1), Nebel (1) | 2 |
| 02 | Rutgers University | Schaffer (1), Sider (1) | 2 |
| 02 | University of Texas at Austin | Schoenfield (1), Tye (1) | 2 |
| 02 | University of Virgina (UVA) | Merricks (2) | 2 |
| 03 | University of Amsterdam | Douven (1) | 1 |
| 03 | University of California, Riverside | Fischer (1) | 1 |
| 03 | Cornell University | Shoemaker (1) | 1 |
| 03 | University of Glasgow | Boylan (1) | 1 |
| 03 | University of Maryland, College Park | Santorio (1) | 1 |
| 03 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Hedden (1) | 1 |
| 03 | University of Notre Dame | Audi (1) | 1 |
| 03 | University of St Andrews | D'Ambrosio (1) | 1 |
| 03 | Yale University | Greco (1) | 1 |
| 04 | Remaining ~3k philosophy departments | ~30k philosophers (0) | 0 |
Some philosophical sub-disciplines have a specialty journal (or two) that is widely recognized as publishing the best work in those particular sub-disciplines. This section will, over time, list such sub-disciplines and any cyclers who have also published (original articles) in the associated specialty journal(s).
| Span | Philosopher | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 4 yrs | J. Dmitri Gallow | 2020–2024 |
| 5 yrs | Matt Mandelkern | 2019–2024 |
| 6 yrs | Justin D'Ambrosio | 2019–2025 |
| 7 yrs | David Boylan | 2017–2024 |
| 7 yrs | Daniel Greco | 2012–2019 |
| 8 yrs | Jake Nebel | 2018–present |
| 8 yrs | Brian Hedden | 2016–2024 |
| 9 yrs | Jonathan Schaffer | 2001–2010 |
| 9 yrs | Paolo Santorio | 2016–2025 |
| 10 yrs | Jeffrey Sanford Russell | 2013–2023 |
| 11 yrs | Ted Sider | 1995–2006 |
| 12 yrs | Michael Tye | 1982–1994 |
| 13 yrs | Miriam Schoenfield | 2012–2025 |
| 13 yrs | Trenton Merricks (C2) | 1998–2011 |
| 13 yrs | Igor Douven | 1999–2012 |
| 15 yrs | Trenton Merricks (C1) | 1994–2009 |
| 17 yrs | Robert Hopkins | 1994–2011 |
| 17 yrs | David Shoemaker | 2007–2024 |
| 18 yrs | John Hawthorne (C1) | 1996–2014 |
| 18 yrs | Robert Pasnau | 2004–2022 |
| 19 yrs | John Hawthorne (C2) | 1997–2016 |
| 21 yrs | Michael Huemer | 2000–2021 |
| 21 yrs | John Hawthorne (C4) | 2004–2025 |
| 24 yrs | Mark Johnston | 1992–2016 |
| 24 yrs | John Hawthorne (C3) | 2000–2024 |
| 29 yrs | John Martin Fischer | 1982–2011 |
| 49 yrs | Robert Audi | 1973–2022 |
Three philosophers managed to place three cycle papers in a single calendar year.
Four pairs of cyclers have co-authored cycle papers with each other:
2024 saw 6 cycle completions alone—the biggest single year on record. Michael Tye was the sole 1990s cycler; 15 cycles have been completed in the 2020s so far.
Hawthorne is responsible for 4 of 28 total cycles—about 14%. He has more cycles than 14 of the 16 ranked departments. The next closest is Merricks with 2.
A rough categorization of the 140 cycle papers by area (based on titles):