Racism As Self-Love
In his Discourse on the Origins of Inequality, Jean-Jacques Rousseau posits an important distinction between self-preservation (amour de soi) and self-love (amour-propre). As he...
Kant for Kids
Kant for kids? “The mind reels,” Michael Dirda says. You might as well imagine Einstein for babies. At first blush, such a project sounds...
What Incivility Gets Us (And What It Doesn’t)
What does civility actually serve? In an age of increasing political polarization, Amy Olberding’s recently published The Wrong of Rudeness defends politeness, with some...
The Buzz Aldrin Fallacy
During my time as a Philosophy PhD student at Purdue, Buzz Aldrin came and gave a talk on Purdue’s campus. I thought going to...
The Power of Generous Questions
I’ve started a podcast about philosophy called Generous Questions. Why is it called “Generous Questions”? Ha, great question, thanks for asking!
There are lots of...
Philosophy in the Contemporary World: Dashboard Indicators and Well-Being Public Policy
On May 30th, 2019, the Government of New Zealand delivered for the first time a budget that was explicitly focused on implementing policies that...
Pain Testimonies, Testimonial Injustice, and the Burden of Trust
For years, science writer Abby Norman reported to doctors that sexual intercourse ached “like a dull pinch that resonated to my pelvis.” Norman suffered...
Recently Published Book Spotlight: Public Art and the Fragility of Democracy
Fred Evans has authored three single-authored books, each on a different topic: Psychology and Nihilism: A Genealogical Critique of the Computational Model of Mind;...
Reflections on James Agee and the Good Life
What is the essence of a good life? Contemporary philosophers have offered a variety of answers, including “active engagement in projects of worth,” (Susan...
Science as Process Versus Science as Behemoth
I live on a small island off the southwest coast of Ireland. When I want to go out, I get a boat to the...