If you like my Medium articles, you will love my book. — I began teaching philosophy in 1998, and I love talking with students and helping them discover new ideas. Several years ago, I gave up on the mass-produced introduction to philosophy textbooks. The offerings from the Big Four educational publishing corporations (Cengage, McGraw Hill, Pearson, and Oxford) are overpriced (I can’t…

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 was asked to answer this important philosophical, ethical question. — This is a very profound question that opens up issues of ethics and human nature. As with all good philosophical questions, answering it requires challenging our preconceptions about ethics and human beings. (Note: I will use “bad” and “evil” as synonyms, despite Nietzsche’s differentiation of those terms.) Did Hitler know…

What is it that people are honoring? — From time-to-time, news items remind me of a conversation from years ago. I was with a group of fellow university students discussing a recent outbreak of armed conflict somewhere in the world. Being curious students, we talked about why the conflict had started. “Because the ___ are proud to be…

Conspiracy theories are part of human culture, and we cannot just dismiss them. — Original Philosophy A space on Medium for serious philosophers to post their research and thinking for a broader audience.medium.com A shorter video version for those who like images: An extended text version for those who like text: Some people, despite all proof to the contrary, believe the moon landings were faked. Some people, despite all proof to the contrary, believe the last election was stolen. And those are just two of the many conspiracy theories that are believed by untold numbers of people.

Oppression close to home. — We moved to Prague, Czech Republic, in 2018. I’ve had in mind to write this article ever since shortly after we moved into our new apartment. I have tarried in writing it because of the heaviness of the subject. The morning of 21 August 2018, we heard a voice over…

The philosopher who shone a spotlight on totalitarianism. — Video Version: Hannah Arendt is a philosopher who is very well known in continental philosophical circles. She remains fairly unfairly unknown outside of continental philosophy circles. Arendt is of course most famous for her book Eichmann in Jerusalem, A Report on the Banality of Evil. That book was her report of…

Every ending is a beginning. — This morning, I had a dream about my ex-wife. The details are personal and interesting only to me, but it reminded me of this topic about which I have long wanted to write. Just a brief expression of a lesson I feel is important. …

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 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 escape from my…