My blog

Here’s an interesting observation about philosophy in “our time”: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20200114-why-philosophers-could-be-the-ones-to-transform-your-2020 Since my college days, when I first discovered the schools of Hellenistic philosophy, I have been fascinated by the ways in which those philosophers — the Stoics and Epicureans — addressed their theorizing to problems of living well. For that period, it was mainly about […]

I have a bit of an obsession with terms. More precisely, I like precision. I’m a philosopher, so my obsession with precise terms is something of an occupational hazard. I often find myself in conversations with people who feel constrained by terms and labels, so naturally, they resist policing for precision’s sake. I understand the tyranny of […]

“We’re having a conflict, and we need help resolving it.” This familiar sentiment often brings people in to see therapists and counselors, (and even philosophical practitioners!), and most people start off seeking conflict resolution. Let’s think about this notion of conflict resolution. First, some preparatory observations. Suppose I ask you, What is the absence of conflict? […]

I couldn’t wait for Roger Waters’s tour, Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking. I got a shirt and the vinyl (which I still have). But this article isn’t just a case of nostalgia: It’s a philosophical question about reality and fantasy. The “plot” of Pros and Cons, if that makes any sense, is a series of seemingly random thoughts […]

If you ask most people in Academia, we are living in Dark Times. It’s the age of Stackable Credentials and Verifiable Skills, of the “professionalization” of university leadership, standardization and fragmentation of the curriculum, and denigration of expertise. We didn’t ask for it, but knowledge- and skill-acquisition are being steadily off-loaded from Academia onto other […]

Before you dive in, here’s your homework: Read the recent NYT article, “The Data Against Kant.” I found this article fascinating and rather encouraging, but here’s spoiler alert: If you think this article disposes of philosophy as useless, hair-splitting semantics, you may as well stop reading right here, because I’m going to do some philosophy. Generally, I endorse the use […]

I often get questions that prompt interesting conversations, and this week, I’d like to share a recent conundrum : How does political engagement work in a power exchange relationship? Can a Dom/me tell a sub how to vote? This is actually a complex issue, and I apologize in advance for sounding like a Philosopher. (But think about the site […]

In a recent conversation, I was asked about Power Exchange. “I see the point of BDSM play, but why would anyone get into a power exchange relationship?” In the spirit of Heraklitus, I aimed for insightful and funny: “To stay awake.” In fact, the underlying philosophical point of organizing relationships in terms of Power Exchange is precisely to live as […]