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…

Good, evil, quality, exploitation, beauty, depravity — it’s all here — Original Philosophy A space on Medium for serious philosophers to post their research and thinking for a broader audience.medium.com Two blocks from my home in Prague, Czech Republic, is my local pub. Once a week on average, I take a little table in the corner, converse with the owner and bartenders, and have a nice burger and beer. It is a part of my life — a pleasurable, brief…

I am sick therefore I am . . . something else . . . — This week I have been afflicted with flu. No, not COVID, though I suspect I did have that back in 2020. This is just the normal “common cold.” This past week I have slogged through my days with only enough energy to perform the most basic tasks. …

A follow-up to my article on the objectification of women — My article published earlier this month, “It’s Not Misogyny — It’s Worse Than That,” had many readers and many great comments. That’s wonderful because the issue of discrimination against and oppression of women is something that needs more public discussion. I thank everyone who read and participated in the discussion. …

The pervasiveness of unexamined recognition norms — A strip of cloth. Really? That’s what matters? Yes, according to some right-wing politicians. I can’t remember the last time I wore a tie. I have two or three stuffed somewhere in my wardrobe (the one that doesn’t lead to Narnia). I’ve carried these strips of cloth with my possessions…

Some music expands one’s horizons, some music transcends them — People know me as a philosophy professor, which is my day job, but for even longer, I have been a radio DJ. Musical ideas, like philosophical ideas, broaden the mind and soul. …

Hume showed that science is based on three assumptions that have no rational basis. — David Hume was a Scottish philosopher in the mid 1700s. His philosophy was a culmination of British empiricism. This was a tradition that began with Francis Bacon and continued through Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and then was critiqued rather effectively by George Berkeley. Berkeley had said that it is…

Phone apps are the latest conflict of technology versus real life — If I was conspiratorially minded, I would believe that Big Tech is out to control every aspect of our lives. I do not engage in conspiracy theories, instead, I recognize that power will exercise its power, and often without regard to the consequences. In the world today, arguably the biggest…

Or has America withered? — Twenty-two years ago today, I taught an ethics class. I Had to Teach an Ethics Class 9/12/2001 How do we understand why people would commit such atrocities?dgilesphilosopher.medium.com One never learns more than when one is teaching, and that morning, very early in my professorial career, was quite the learning experience. I was so impressed by these young students, barely younger than me, who showed resilience and optimism in…