An Embarrassing Defence of the Humanities
It's all about our social status, but it could be worse.
As Difficult As Rare
My scribblings on Spinozist things.
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Latest posts
Moral Abolitionism and Cartoon Villains
You might not like moral abolitionism, but don't let it drive you to a simplistic understanding of human nature.
Hamzah Fansuri
An Acehnese Sufi poet and philosopher - is it possible he influenced Spinoza?
Lifelong Education or Death
For five years now I’ve been director of teaching for my department (first at PGT level, now at UG level).
Talking Identity on A Song Called Life
I appeared on Osi Atikpoh's intriguing podcast, to discuss my book
Bai Juyi on Zhuangzi
Being ok with everything is being ok with not being ok with everything
Spinoza, Logic, and Geometry
What did he mean by treating geometry as the method of metaphysics?
Oscar Wilde on Zhuangzi
"He would be disturbing at dinner-parties, and impossible at afternoon teas, and his whole life was a protest against platform speaking."
Arguments: Everybody Chill Out
In a flood of demonstrata, I was only trying to plead for the demonstrandum
Academic Philosophers and “Writing Clearly”
The word is flesh
Would UBI be the best use of the money it would cost?
UBI is not magic; it should be evaluated like any other welfare policy
My Philosophical Manifesto
This interview with Contralytic ended up being my philosophical manifesto.
How to Be Yourself, When You Have No Self
I try to explain Zhuangzi's answer, as I see it, in this Aeon article:
Me on the History of Bad Ideas Podcast
A very nice discussion with David Runciman about identity in Spinoza and beyond
Throwaway Culture in Philosophy
Try recycling
Political Philosophy and Western Complacency
Do Western political philosophers assume that Western powers will always be in charge of the world?
James Ferrier's Idealism
A forgotten St Andrews philosopher, and why the senses are faculties of nonsense
The Worst Argument in the World: A Defence
David Stove was wrong to dismiss idealism as legitimate philosophy
Cook Ding and Technology
Technological progress can also mean doing less
A Philosophical Blandemic?
Does Thomas Heatherwick's _Humanise_ apply to philosophy?
My book is now being advertised on the Penguin site
My book, Against Identity: the Wisdom of Escaping the Self, is set to appear in May 2025.