A Businessman Reminded Me about the Essence of Philosophy. — Join Medium and read great independent writing As a Medium member, a portion of your membership fee goes to writers you read, and you get full access to every story…dgilesphilosopher.medium.com Philosopher for Hire Every now and then I am contacted by someone who wants to hire me to help them write a paper or book. I’ve had rewarding collaborations over the years, helping people form their ideas and polish their writing, and it’s been a nice income supplement (being a philosophy professor pays…

I’m an intellectual, not an academic; let me explain. — I have a friend who teaches languages. She is very, very good at it; so good that the government contracts her to teach some of their people. She could have a job at any number of prestigious universities. Instead, she teaches at a community college because, she says, she wants…

“I am I and my circumstances” — Spanish phenomenologist and existentialist José Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955) crafted a philosophy of life from elements taken from John Stuart Mill, William James, Edmund Husserl, and Immanuel Kant. He believed that the purpose of philosophy is to challenge our beliefs and prejudices to open up new ideas that better…

I’ll always be American, but … — I was born and raised in the United States. I am an American. I will never not be an American. I left the United States ten years ago today, not out of any negative feelings, but to forge a new future for myself. As time passes, I find myself less…

A moment that was formative for my worldview — My childhood was one of isolation. My father, who died not long ago, was antisocial; he never wanted other people in his house and he never went anywhere other than to work. My mother, bless her, was young and insecure, especially about her young child (me). As she told me…

Saint? So they say, but I know him as a philosopher centuries before his time. — One philosopher deeply influenced by Plotinus was Augustine, (354–430 CE) who also began his philosophy from the assumption that reason was the source of all that is real and good. Augustine is often misunderstood and dismissed as being merely a theologian. The truth is that he is one of the…

Our education system is still dominated by a model developed over 180 years ago. — On What's Wrong With Education and How to Fix It - Insert Philosophy Here Our education system is still dominated by a model developed over 180 years ago that relegates students to products of…pod.co Transcript: Welcome to the insert philosophy here podcast. Inserting the principles of philosophy into real life. The last week of August and the first week of September is when students across the United States, Canada, and most European countries go back to school. There’s no overestimating the importance of education for…

It Matters How We See Ourselves and Others — Marcus Aurelius was ruler of the Roman Empire at arguably its height of power and prosperity. He nevertheless saw himself as a mere man, one compelled to be Emperor, and in no way greater than the common people. He just happened to be Emperor, and in the power vested in…