Category Archives: Uncategorized

Letheby (2017) attempts to reconcile psychedelic spirituality with naturalism. His motivation for doing so is that many philosophers are persuaded by naturalism, and are not convinced that there is a ‘transcendent foundation for meaning’; a potentially troublesome little phrase. Firstly, … Continue reading →

It seems Dave Chalmers has decided that the problem of consciousness is too hard. He’s now moved on to virtual reality: https://aeon.co/videos/new-realities-are-imminent-how-vr-reframes-big-questions-in-philosophy I really like Dave Chalmers, and I really hope his philosophical interest in VR isn’t intended as some sort of … Continue reading →

The end of the socialist trentes glorieuses saw the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) put in force in the UK to discourage citizens from ‘misusing’ certain substances. Despite it being a logical impossibility to ‘misuse’ something with no mode of use … Continue reading →

As I sit at the garden table, eating scrambled eggs on buttery toast with a side of dressed spinach, hummus and avocado, I notice something. I notice my scrambled eggs on buttery toast with a side of dressed spinach, hummus … Continue reading →

Readings, B. 1996. The University in Ruins. Harvard University Press. Readings describes himself as ‘deeply ambivalent’ about the university, and his book as an attempt to think his way out of ‘an impasse between militant radicalism and cynical despair.’ I … Continue reading →

One thing I particularly liked about Nixon’s book was the depth of the image it painted of the four thinkers whose ideas were drawn upon; it described them as real people with families and styles of dress and ways of … Continue reading →

Tonight’s PESGB seminar at the IoE is going to feature Morgan White talking about a political theory of the university. I read his paper (which I’m not sure is publicly available yet) and had some thoughts… White argues that democracy … Continue reading →

After Truth and Method, Gadamer shifted from writing about tradition to solidarity. Both concepts relate to deep-seated agreements about the way things are or should be, but solidarity bears an element of forward-thinking, of future aspirations with a basis of … Continue reading →

Lawn, C. 2006. Gadamer: A Guide for the Perplexed. Continuum, New York. Gadamer was a traditionalist. He didn’t like the way the dominant scientific method focuses on the future and forgets about the past. He believed that knowledge is interpretation, … Continue reading →