The list's motto is 'Anarchy Tempered by Despotism'! A missive from Stephen Clark in August 1989 set the early tone: 

For those of you who haven't previously used a[n email list]: the success of such a thing depends entirely on the willingness of subscribers to make a spectacle of themselves, without losing their tempers and without going on at quite inordinate length. Think of it as a common-room conversation, with slightly more time-out for reflection, and no problems about getting a word in edgeways. Try out half-baked ideas if you like, or make pithy comments on such half-baked ideas as have been posted already. But the hotline isn't only for philosophical conversation: use it to convey information - both administrative and academic - and to ask straightforward questions ("where can I find a machine-readable text of Philo De Somniis?" "who said that this life is a dream and a delirium?").

Since the mid-noughties, facebook and twitter have provided alternative forums for half-baked ideas, and the Liverpool List is now a place for philosophers worldwide to share information and ask questions. While messages to the List are moderated, we operate a "light touch" moderation policy. If your message fits with the intended purpose of the list, you are good to go. Accordingly, we would like to remind users of the list that it is their responsibility to use it responsibly. We are not responsible for third-party content linked in messages to the list.

How to Join the List

• To subscribe simply email as follows to listserv@liv.ac.uk: 'Subscribe philos-l yourname'. Read the welcome message carefully.

How to Post a Message

• To send to the list email to philos-l@liv.ac.uk
• Once you click 'send message' your post will go to the moderator and should be posted to the list, usually within 24h.

How to Sign-off the List

• Send a blank message to the list email to philos-l-unsubscribe-request@liv.ac.uk

Our Archive

• You can view our archive, which goes all the way back to 1989, here: https://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa?A0=PHILOS-L.

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